Backed by Trump, John Sununu defeats Scott Brown to win the New Hampshire Senate Republican primary

John Sununu won the Republican Senate primary in New Hampshire. The former senator, backed by Donald Trump, defeated former Republican Senator Scott Brown in the primary. In November, he will face Democrat Chris Pappas, who won the Democratic nomination after incumbent Senator Jeanne Shaheen chose not to seek a fourth term in the Senate.

Sununu, 61, belongs to one of New Hampshire's most prominent political families and represents a more traditional and moderate wing of the state's Republican Party. He is the brother of former New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu and the son of John H. Sununu, also a former governor and chief of staff to George H.W. Bush.

With 40% of the votes counted, Sununu was declared the winner with 68% of the vote, compared with 26% for Scott Brown, a Massachusetts senator from 2010 to 2013. Brown later served as ambassador to New Zealand during the first Trump administration.

"This race, as I know, is about the future. It's not about today or tomorrow or even next year. It's about the next six years. Where does the country go? And we take it in a place that's right for the people of the state New Hampshire," Sununu said in his victory speech.

"I know that as your senator, I'll have one to look. Stand up for the people of New Hampshire every single day. Thank you. We're going to win this," he added.

As for Sununu's career, he served in the House of Representatives for six years and was elected to the Senate in 2002, defeating Shaheen. Six years later, the Democrat rode the blue wave after Barack Obama's presidential victory and defeated Sununu by six percentage points. Shaheen was reelected in 2014 and 2020, but decided not to run again in 2026.

Sununu's bid to return to the Senate has the backing of President Trump and Tim Scott, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). In October 2025, Scott said the NRSC was "fully committed" to Sununu's candidacy, whose last name and moderate profile could make the race very competitive.

In November, the Republican will face off against Congressman Chris Pappas, who defeated the progressive Karishma Manzur, who, for example, had the backing of former Congressman and "The Squad" member Jamaal Bowman.

Pappas ran as a more moderate candidate and earned support from various Democratic figures, including former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Senators Elizabeth Warren and Mark Kelly. He received 64% of the vote, compared to Manzur's 33%.

According to the latest poll from the University of New Hampshire, Pappas and Sununu are within the margin of error.

Other results in New Hampshire

In addition, Republican Governor Kelly Ayotte easily secured her party's nomination for a second term. Her opponent in November will be Democrat Cinde Warmington, a former New Hampshire executive councilor. Although Ayotte was elected in 2024, New Hampshire holds gubernatorial elections every two years.

In the House of Representatives primary, Democrats faced a tough race to replace Pappas in New Hampshire's 1st District. There, Stefany Shaheen, daughter of Jeanne Shaheen, faced off against Maura Sullivan, an Army veteran and official during the Obama administration. With 35% of the vote, the race remains too close to call.

On the Republican side, President Trump-backed candidate Anthony DiLorenzo defeated Hollie Noveletsky, former vice chair of the New Hampshire Republican Party. DiLorenzo, a car salesman, won 30% of the vote compared to Noveletsky's 25%.

In the second congressional district primary, moderates once again prevailed over progressives. Incumbent Maggie Goodlander won 80% of the vote and defeated State Representative Paige Beauchemin, who garnered 20%.

Beauchemin campaigned on an openly progressive platform that included halting data center construction, a "Medicare for All" healthcare policy and abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). She also described Israel as a "genocidal" state.

For her part, Lily Tang Williams once again won the Republican nomination for the 2nd district. In 2024, she lost to Goodlander by just over five percentage points.