# John E. Sununu's Senate Run Through New Hampshire Shifts

> Sununu's Senate bid faces New Hampshire's political realignment after 18 years away.
- Title: John E. Sununu's Senate Run Through New Hampshire Shifts
- Summary: 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…
- Keywords: john e sununu, new hampshire, senate, chris pappas, republican, democrat, election, political realignment, bedford, 2026 election, news, local
- Source: The Boston Globe — https://bostonglobe.com/2026/10/10/nation/john-e-sununu-new-hampshire-chris-pappas
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: john e sununu, new hampshire, senate, chris pappas, republican, democrat, election, political realignment, bedford, 2026 election, news, local
## 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.
## Key takeaway

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.