Top Senate Democrat Jeanne Shaheen announced on Wednesday that she will not seek reelection in 2026, creating a prime pickup opportunity for Republicans in New Hampshire’s historically swing-state Senate race.
Shaheen, 78, previously served three terms as governor of New Hampshire until being elected to the Senate in 2008. The senator serves as the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
“It’s important for New Hampshire and the country to have a new generation of leadership,” said Shaheen.
She will have served 30 years in elected office and spent 50 years in politics by the end of her term, per the New York Times.
New Hampshire voters have shown increasing Republican leanings in recent elections. While supporting Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race, they simultaneously elected former Senator Kelly Ayotte as governor and expanded GOP majorities in the…
