Photo: Office of Sen. Jeanne Shaheen
MANCHESTER, NH (WBZ NewsRadio) — After spending 30 years in elected office and a half-century in politics, New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen announced Wednesday she will not run for re-election in 2026.
Her decision not to run for a fourth term kicks off what will be a furious attempt by Democrats in the state to hold on to her seat while Republicans try to turn it.
Former Sen. Scott Brown, who represented Massachusetts for one term and later moved to New Hampshire, is already considering a run for U.S. Senate for New Hampshire.
Throughout history, the New Hampshire electorate has voted for both sides of the ticket.
Last fall, voters supported the Harris-Walz ticket and voted in Democrats to Congress but also elected Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte and expanded the Republican majority in the state legislature.
Currently, Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the U.S. Senate.
Shaheen is now the third Democrat to announce retirement plans making the party's efforts to gain a majority even harder.
Shaheen was the first woman to be elected NH governor and the first woman in the country to serve as both a governor and a U.S. Senator.
She is also the top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.