Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, of New Hampshire, announced Wednesday that she will not be running for reelection to the U.S. Senate in 2026.
“Today, after careful consideration, I am announcing that I have made the difficult decision not to seek reelection to the Senate in 2026,” Shaheen said in a social media video. “It’s just time.”
Shaheen, a 78-year-old Democrat, was first elected to the Senate in 2006. She previously served as the first woman to be elected governor of New Hampshire. In the Senate, Shaheen serves as the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee.
New Hampshire Senate election 2026
Who could replace Shaheen in the Senate? Former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican, told The Washington Times on Tuesday that D.C. Republicans are asking him to run and he has “not ruled it out completely.” Sununu previously passed on challenging Sen. Maggie Hassan in 2022 in order to run for a fourth term as governor.
