From The Boston Globe · · 1m 30s
John E. Sununu's Senate Run Through New Hampshire Shifts
Sununu's Senate bid faces New Hampshire's political realignment after 18 years away.
In brief
Sununu's Senate bid faces New Hampshire's political realignment after 18 years away. John E. Sununu's 2026 Senate run in New Hampshire faces shifting political dynamics as the state's electoral map has changed since his 2002 win. Originally reported by The Boston Globe.
Sununu returns after 18 years
John E. Sununu will return to Washington after 18 years away if he wins New Hampshire's open Senate seat next month.
New Hampshire political shifts
The Donald Trump era has realigned New Hampshire's political landscape so thoroughly that shifts within communities can be dizzying.
Bedford's transformation
Bedford, Sununu's former hometown, has shifted from red to blue and back again since 2002.
Bedford's electoral history
In 2012, Romney won Bedford by 26 points; Trump won it by 7 points in 2016 and lost by 3 points in 2020 and 2024.
Sununu's Bedford dominance
Sununu won Bedford all five times he ran for Congress but faces a challenge in 2026.
Pappas leads polls
AARP polls show Pappas ahead 51 percent to 44 percent with the Cook Political Report labeling the race as leaning Democrat.
Sununu's political identity
Sununu has the same blue-and-green Senate signs and consistent positions on taxes, Social Security, and civil liberties as in 2002.
Sununu's campaign adjustments
Sununu made a 30-second ad called 'Bleep' to address accusations of corruption from super PACs.
The headline
John E. Sununu's 2026 Senate run in New Hampshire faces shifting political dynamics as the state's electoral map has changed since his 2002 win.
