Chris Pappas (D), John Sununu (R), and Edmond Laplante (Constitution Party) are running in the general election for U.S. Senate in New Hampshire on Nov. 3. Incumbent Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D), who first assumed office in 2009, did not seek re-election.

This U.S. Senate race is among several that will help determine which party controls the chamber. Heading into the election, Republicans hold a 53-45 majority. Democratic presidential candidates have won New Hampshire in each election from 2004 to 2024. Since 2020, New Hampshire has been a Republican trifecta, meaning Republicans control the governorship and both legislative chambers. New Hampshire's most recent Republican senator was Kelly Ayotte (R), the governor at the time of the 2026 election, who served in the U.S. Senate from 2011 to 2017.

The Washington Post's Ben Binday writes, "In many years, Sununu’s advantages might be enough to win in a state known for political independence and electing politicians from both parties. Yet interviews with dozens of voters ... found an electorate where Trump is so unpopular ... that voters appeared more inclined to cast their ballots based on the Senate candidates’ party affiliations in an election they view as a referendum on Trump’s presidency." According to reporting from AP, "Steve Marchand, a Democratic consultant and former New Hampshire gubernatorial candidate, said Sununu has benefited from national money that got redirected from other states that are no longer seen as top targets, while Democrats were slower to invest."

As of Oct. 6, Sabato's Crystal Ball and The Cook Political Report rated the general election Lean Democratic. DDHQ/The Hill rated it Likely Democratic and Inside Elections rated it a Toss-up. Click here for more information on race forecasts.

Pappas has represented New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District since 2019. He also served on District 4 of the New Hampshire Executive Council from 2013 to 2019, as treasurer of Hillsborough County from 2007 to 2011, and as a representative of Hillsborough County in the New Hampshire House of Representatives from 2002 to 2006. Pappas' campaign website says, "Chris stood up to Democratic leadership when he called for a ban on stock trading by members of Congress and forced a vote on the House floor. He took on Big Pharma to lower drug prices and cap the cost of insulin at $35. He is taking on corporate polluters who are contaminating our drinking water and is standing up to predatory companies taking advantage of our veterans."

Sununu represented New Hampshire in the U.S. Senate from 2003 to 2009. He also represented New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District from 1997 to 2003. Sununu's father, John H. Sununu (R), and brother, Chris Sununu (R), served as governors of New Hampshire. Sununu's campaign website says, "He’ll oppose all middle-class tax hikes and work to make life more affordable for New Hampshire families by focusing like a laser on reducing inflation and lowering the cost of housing, healthcare, and energy. ... [He’ll] push term limits, make Congress pay for the full cost of their healthcare, and cut Congress’ pay if they vote to shut down the government."

Thirty-three of the 100 U.S. Senate seats are up for election, and another two seats are up for special election. Democrats hold 13 of the seats up for election, and Republicans hold 22. To read more about the U.S. Senate elections taking place this year, click here.

This is one of 11 U.S. Senate races this year in which an incumbent is not running for re-election. Across the country, four Democrats and seven Republicans are not running for re-election — more than any year since 2012. In 2024, eight incumbents — four Democrats, two Republicans, and two independents — did not seek re-election.