Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Democrat, Will Not Seek Reelection for Senate in 2026

Complete interview: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan”

12:15

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, representing New Hampshire, announced on Wednesday that she will not seek reelection to the U.S. Senate in 2026.

“Today, after much thought, I am announcing that I have made the challenging choice not to pursue reelection to the Senate in 2026,” Shaheen stated in a video on social media. “It’s simply time.”

Shaheen, a 78-year-old Democrat, was first elected to the Senate in 2006. She previously served as the first female governor of New Hampshire. In the Senate, Shaheen takes on the role of the leading Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee.

New Hampshire Senate Election 2026

Who might take Shaheen’s place in the Senate? Former New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, a Republican, told The Washington Times on Tuesday that party leaders in D.C. are encouraging him to run and he has “not entirely ruled it out.” Sununu previously declined to challenge Sen. Maggie Hassan in 2022, opting instead to pursue a fourth term as governor.