Sununu to Seek Re-election as New Hampshire Governor, Rejecting Senate Bid

Politics|Sununu to Run Again for New Hampshire Governor, Rejecting Senate Bid

Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire, a Republican, amazed his enactment connected Tuesday by announcing that helium would not tally for U.S. Senate adjacent year, rejecting a full-court property from nationalist Republicans who tried to enlistee him to vie for a Democratic-held spot that the G.O.P. believed could find power of the Senate.

Instead, Mr. Sununu announced astatine a quality league that helium would question a 4th two-year word arsenic governor, a occupation successful which helium said helium could marque much of a quality than successful Congress, wherever “too often doing thing is considered a win.”

“My work is not to the gridlock and authorities of Washington,” helium said. “It is to the citizens of New Hampshire.”

Republican leaders had seen a Sununu situation to Senator Maggie Hassan, a Democrat, arsenic 1 of their champion shots to upend the Senate’s 50-50 partisan split, which gives Democrats power with the tiebreaking ballot of Vice President Kamala Harris.

At a Republican gathering successful Las Vegas implicit the weekend, wherever Mr. Sununu spoke, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas urged attendees to thin connected Mr. Sununu. “Every idiosyncratic present needs to travel up to Chris and say, ‘Governor is large but you request to tally for Senate,’” Mr. Cruz said. “Because this antheral could single-handedly discontinue Chuck Schumer arsenic bulk person of the Senate.”

Republicans successful Washington were taken disconnected defender by Mr. Sununu’s decision. Senator Mitch McConnell, the number leader, who had personally lobbied Mr. Sununu to run, was fixed nary heads up astir his decision, according to Josh Holmes, an advisor to Mr. McConnell. The Republican Governors Association “had nary thought either,” Mr. Holmes said.

But a longtime Republican advisor successful New Hampshire, Dave Carney, said Mr. Sununu’s determination was not a astonishment to those who cognize him. “The gridlock successful D.C. is simply a hard sell,” Mr. Carney said.

The determination was possibly astir astonishing fixed that the governmental clime up of the midterms has shifted successful Republicans’ favor aft their gains successful races crossed the state past week. Although the 2022 Senate representation favors Democrats, with their astir susceptible candidates moving successful states that President Biden won, his constrictive victories successful places similar Arizona and Georgia marque first-term Democrats determination perchance vulnerable. Democrats’ best changeable astatine picking up a Senate spot is successful Pennsylvania, the lone Republican-held spot that is present unfastened successful a Biden-won state.

In New Hampshire, the astir superior declared Republican Senate campaigner truthful acold is Donald C. Bolduc, a retired Army general. He mislaid a G.O.P. superior past twelvemonth to a Trump-endorsed challenger, who yet mislaid against New Hampshire’s elder senator, Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat.

Republicans see Ms. Hassan, who won her spot by astir 1,000 votes successful 2016, to beryllium among the astir susceptible Democratic senators adjacent year.

“Maggie dodged a slug for sure,” said Irene Lin, a Democratic advisor who has worked successful New Hampshire.

With Mr. Sununu sitting retired the race, speculation turned to erstwhile Senator Kelly Ayotte, who mislaid the spot to Ms. Hassan.

Mr. Sununu, 47, was re-elected to a 3rd two-year word successful 2020 with 65 percent of the statewide vote. That was 20 percent points amended than what erstwhile President Donald J. Trump received successful losing New Hampshire to Mr. Biden. Unlike different Republican governors of bluish states, specified arsenic Maryland oregon Massachusetts, Mr. Sununu supported Mr. Trump’s re-election, declaring astatine 1 point, “I’m a Trump feline done and through.”

A University of New Hampshire poll successful September recovered that enactment for Mr. Sununu was eroding, but inactive high. Fifty-seven percent of New Hampshire adults approved of the occupation the politician was doing, including his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. But the stock of independents who approved of his show arsenic politician fell for the 3rd consecutive month.

Blake Hounshell contributed reporting.