Concord, N.H. – Former Republican U.S. Senator Scott Brown has announced his candidacy for the New Hampshire Senate seat soon to be vacated by retiring Democrat Jeanne Shaheen in 2026. The move marks Brown’s second attempt to claim a Senate seat in the Granite State, having previously challenged Shaheen unsuccessfully in 2014.
Brown, 65, revealed his campaign plans in an exclusive announcement to WMUR-TV, positioning himself as a seasoned public servant ready to “fix Washington.”
“We’ve been blessed by two great governors, Chris Sununu and Kelly Ayotte,” Brown said in his launch video. “But in Washington, we haven’t been represented by the right people.”
From Massachusetts to New Hampshire — And Back to Washington?
Brown rose to national prominence in 2010 when he won a special election in Massachusetts to fill the late Sen. Edward Kennedy’s seat, briefly breaking the Democrats' supermajority in the Senate. After losing reelection to Elizabeth Warren in 2012, Brown moved to New Hampshire and took a break from electoral politics—serving as U.S. ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa during the Trump administration and later as dean of New England Law in Boston.
Now, with Shaheen stepping down, Brown sees an opening for a political comeback in a state where he has long claimed deep roots. Born at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Brown is now vying to return to Capitol Hill with a populist, conservative message aimed at rising costs and federal overreach.
A Likely Battle with Democrat Chris Pappas
Brown’s early messaging takes aim at Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas, who announced his candidacy for the same Senate seat in April. Pappas, 44, is a four-term congressman and one of the state’s most prominent Democrats.
“Chris Pappas has stood with Joe Biden as he opened the border, drove up the cost of everything, and made life just simply unaffordable,” Brown charged in his video.
Pappas fired back in a statement, accusing Brown of supporting “corporate special interests” and opposing key protections for Granite Staters' health care and small businesses.
“Scott Brown backs President Trump’s reckless tariffs that New Hampshire small businesses are speaking out against every single day,” Pappas said.
A Crowded Field — or a Clear Lane?
Brown enters the race following Governor Chris Sununu’s decision not to seek the Senate seat or another gubernatorial term. With Sununu stepping aside, Brown may gain early traction with GOP voters still loyal to Trump-era figures and nostalgic for his outsider brand of conservatism.
Whether voters embrace his return remains to be seen—but one thing is clear: the 2026 New Hampshire Senate race is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched contests in the country.