OAN Staff James Meyers
11:30 AM – Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Longtime Democrat Senator Jeanne Shaheen has announced that she will not be seeking a fourth term in 2026 for the state of New Hampshire.
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“It’s just time,” said Shaheen, 78, in a video statement on Wednesday.
“Believe me, I am not retiring,” added Shaheen (D-NH). “I am determined to work every day over the next two years and beyond, to continue to try and make a difference for the people of New Hampshire and this country.”
“It was a difficult decision, made more difficult by the current environment in the country — by President Trump and what he’s doing right now,” Shaheen told the New York Times on Tuesday of her decision to step away.
As a result, Shaheen becomes the third Democrat in the upper chamber to announce her retirement following this election cycle.
“It’s important for New Hampshire and the country to have a new generation of leadership.”
The announcement comes as reports have come forward that Republican and former Governor Chris Sununu was contemplating challenging her, which changes his earlier stance on being reluctant to take on Shaheen’s colleague, Senator Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), in 2022.
Additionally, Democrat Senators Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) previously opted against running for re-election in 2026. Shaheen’s announcement will give Republicans hope of picking up seats in both Michigan and New Hampshire.
Shaheen is first woman in American politics to win an election both as a governor and as a U.S. senator.
Meanwhile, Senate Republicans have just one open seat to defend after Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced he would not seek an eighth term.
According to Politico, Representative Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) is mulling a run to replace the longtime Democrat, and would be the early favorite in the Democrat primary.
Currently, Republicans are defending 22 of the 35 Senate seats up for grabs in 2026, with the GOP as of now holding a 53-47 majority.
Before her first run in the Senate, Shaheen served three two-year terms as New Hampshire’s governor, making her the first woman elected to the position in 1996.
During her time in the Senate, she has served as a prominent voice on the Foreign Relations Committee.
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