Trump endorses John E. Sununu over Scott Brown in New Hampshire Senate race

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President Donald Trump on Sunday endorsed former Sen. John E. Sununu of New Hampshire, a longtime GOP Trump critic, over one in all his first-term ambassadors, former Sen. Scott Brown, in an important Senate race that is one in all a handful which will decide the Senate majority within the midterm elections.

Sununu, who was praised by Trump as an "America First Patriot" who "will work tirelessly to advance our America First Agenda," is seen by high Senate Republicans because the strongest candidate to flip the seat held by longtime Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen , who's retiring on the finish of this 12 months fairly than search re-election to a fourth six-year time period.

"John E. Sununu has my Full and Whole Endorsement — HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN — ELECT JOHN E. SUNUNU," Trump emphasised, in a put up on social media.

Sununu is a former three-term consultant who defeated then-Gov. Shaheen in New Hampshire's 2002 Senate election. However the senator misplaced to Shaheen of their 2008 rematch.

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Former Republican Sen. John E. Sununu of New Hampshire is interviewed by Fox Information Digital, on Sept.15, 2025 in Rye, N.H. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox Information Digital)

"I need to thank the President for his assist and thank the hundreds of Granite Staters who're supporting me," Sununu mentioned after touchdown Trump's endorsement.

The endorsement will additional increase Sununu, who enjoys a polling and fundraising benefit over Brown.

After Trump's endorsement, the Senate Management Fund, which is aligned with Senate Majority Chief John Thune, mentioned on X that "John Sununu is the clear option to be New Hampshire 's subsequent US Senator, and President Trump's crucial endorsement has put an finish to the first."

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However Brown, as of now, has no intentions of dropping out.

"I’ve at all times believed that the individuals of New Hampshire are the last word authority on our future, and so they deserve a selection between candidates searching for to earn their assist," he mentioned in an announcement.

And apparently questioning Sununu's MAGA credentials, he added, "I'm operating to make sure our America First agenda is led by somebody who views this mission not as a profession path, however as a continuation of a lifelong dedication to service."

Former Sen. Scott Brown, who launched a Republican Senate marketing campaign in New Hampshire in June, is interviewed by Fox Information Digital, on July 4, 2025, in Exeter, N.H. (Paul Steinhauser - Fox Information )

Brown emphasised, "My priorities for New Hampshire stay clear: a stronger financial system, a safe border, dependable and reasonably priced vitality and higher well being take care of our veterans. This mission has at all times been about you, not me. Let’s hold working!"

Sununu is a model identify in New Hampshire politics. His father, John H. Sununu, is a former governor who later served as chief of employees in then-President George H.W. Bush's White Home. And one in all his youthful brothers is former Gov. Chris Sununu , who gained election and re-election to 4 two-year phrases steering the Granite State.

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However Sununu has a protracted historical past of backing Trump rivals. He served as nationwide co-chair on the 2016 Republican presidential marketing campaign of then-Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who declined to assist Trump because the social gathering's nominee.

And Sununu, together with then-Gov. Chris Sununu, endorsed former ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley within the 2024 New Hampshire Republican presidential major, as she battled Trump for the nomination.

And on the eve of the first-in-the-nation presidential major, the previous senator wrote an opinion piece titled "Donald Trump is a loser," that ran within the New Hampshire Union Chief, the state's largest day by day newspaper.

Brown endorsed Trump forward of his 2016 New Hampshire major victory, which launched him towards the GOP presidential nomination and in the end the White Home. Brown later served as U.S. ambassador to New Zealand throughout Trump's first time period.

Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, seen talking at a press convention in Washington, DC on November 9, 2025, is retiring on the finish of this 12 months. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu through Getty Pictures)

Some in New Hampshire's MAGA base instantly rejected the president's endorsement of Sununu, calling it a "slap within the face to grassroots supporters" who've lengthy backed Trump.

"The Sununu household brazenly mocked, degraded, and labored in opposition to the America First motion, the President himself, and the insurance policies that energized New Hampshire voters," a gaggle of MAGA activists posted on X. "We'll proceed and intensify our marketing campaign opposition to the Sununu operation."

Brown formally launched his Senate marketing campaign in June, after over six months of reaching out to grassroots supporters within the state. He raised roughly $1 million throughout his first three months as a candidate.

Sununu jumped into the race in late October, with the backing of the Nationwide Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), which is the Senate GOP's marketing campaign arm.

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NRSC chair Sen. Tim Scott mentioned on the time that Senate Republicans have been "all-in" for Sununu.

Since then, Sununu has landed the backing of a majority of the Republicans within the Senate, in addition to from GOP leaders in New Hampshire.

The seat in New Hampshire, together with an open Democrat-held seat in Michigan are two of the NRSC's high targets this 12 months as they goal to increase their 53-47 majority within the chamber. Georgia, the place the GOP views Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff as very susceptible, is the NRSC's different high goal.

Sununu greater than doubled Brown's fundraising haul throughout the previous three months, and the most recent public opinion polls in New Hampshire point out Sununu with a double-digit lead over Brown within the GOP major, which will not be held till September.

<source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/08/672/378/chris-pappas1-fox-news-intv-portsmouth-nh-july-4-2025.png?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/08/1344/756/chris-pappas1-fox-news-intv-portsmouth-nh-july-4-2025.png?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="378" width="672"><source media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/08/931/523/chris-pappas1-fox-news-intv-portsmouth-nh-july-4-2025.png?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/08/1862/1046/chris-pappas1-fox-news-intv-portsmouth-nh-july-4-2025.png?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="523" width="931"> Democratic Senate candidate in New Hampshire, Rep. Chris Pappas, is interviewed by Fox Information Digital, on July 4, 2025, in Portsmouth, N.H. (Paul Steinhauser - Fox Information)

Pappas, a four-term congressman who represents the jap half of the state, outraised each Sununu and Brown mixed throughout the 4th quarter of 2025 fundraising.

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And the most recent polls point out Pappas topping Sununu by single digits and Brown by double digits in hypothetical common election matchups.

Pappas is the clear front-runner for his social gathering's nomination, in a race that additionally consists of Karishma Manzur, a member of the New Hampshire Democratic Occasion's guidelines committee.

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based mostly within the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the marketing campaign path from coast to coast."