Former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu said he will not run for U.S. Senate during an appearance on The Pulse of NH radio show Tuesday morning.
“No, I’m not going to run,” he told host Jack Heath. “For me and my family, it’s just not right for us.”
The statement comes just a couple of days after President Donald Trump said he would endorse Sununu if he ran for Senate.
“He came to my office, came to the Oval Office and met with Chris Sununu,” Trump said to reporters on Air Force One Sunday. “I support him fully. I hope he runs. He’s been very nice to me over the last year or so. I hope he runs.”
Sununu’s announcement removes one high profile Republican name from the race to replace Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-New Hampshire, who announced her retirement in March.
Who is running for NH Senate 2026?
U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, D-New Hampshire, announced his candidacy for the 2026 U.S. Senate race in early April.
U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas hosted a town hall at Stratham Cooperative Middle School, drawing nearly 1,000 attendees. Following the event Saturday, March 22, 2025, he spoke directly with attendees to hear their concerns.
The fourth term representative is currently the only major candidate to officially announce his campaign. First-term Rep. Maggie Goodlander, D-NH, has also said she is considering a run.
More: Sherman, Noveletsky, Sullivan weigh runs to succeed Pappas in US House
With Sununu out, former Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Scott Brown is now the only high-profile Republican candidate so far who has said he is considering running.
Francesca Chambers of USA TODAY contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Former NH Gov. Chris Sununu says he will not run US Senate in 2026