New Hampshire Governor to Run for Re-Election Rather Than U.S. Senate

(Bloomberg) -- New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, a Republican, said he’s seeking a fourth term rather than making a bid for the U.S. Senate in a closely-watched move that could affect the fight over control of the Senate in next year’s midterms. 

Sununu, 47, said on Tuesday that he can be more effective serving as governor instead of becoming one of 100 senators in a fiercely partisan Washington where it’s challenging to get anything done.

“My responsibility is not to the gridlock and politics of Washington, it’s to the citizens of New Hampshire,” Sununu said at a news conference on Tuesday. “And I’d rather push myself 120 miles an hour, delivering wins for New Hampshire than to slow down, end up on Capitol Hill debating partisan politics without results.”

Republicans had been urging Sununu to run against Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan, who the GOP argues is vulnerable. Democrats presently control the 50-50 Senate only with Vice President Kamala Harris’s tie-breaking vote. 

The GOP is defending 20 seats next year and Florida Senator Rick Scott, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has cited New Hampshire as one of at least four pick-up opportunities for the party along with Georgia, Arizona and Nevada.

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