New Hampshire 2026: Governor and Senate Race Combination Outcomes

Former Massachusetts senator Scott Brown is running a long-shot campaign for the New Hampshire Republican Senate nomination against John E. Sununu, son of former governor John H. Sununu, who has consolidated establishment support including an endorsement from President Trump. Sununu entered the race after his more popular brother, former governor Chris Sununu, declined to run.

Polling shows Sununu with a commanding lead: a University of New Hampshire survey of likely Republican voters put his favorability far ahead of Brown's, with Brown also carrying notably higher unfavorability numbers. RealClearPolitics' polling average shows Sununu leading by a wide margin, and outlets like The Cook Political Report treat Sununu as the de facto nominee against expected Democratic candidate Representative Chris Pappas. Brown, a Trump-appointed former ambassador to New Zealand and the 2010 winner of Ted Kennedy's former Senate seat, argues that "New Hampshire breaks late" and says he remains confident despite the deficit. The primary outcome will determine who faces Pappas in the general election.

New Hampshire Republicans voted Tuesday in an eight-person Senate primary dominated by two former officeholders: ex-Sen. John Sununu and ex-Sen. Scott Brown, both making comeback bids decades after their prior tenures. Sununu, who last appeared on a ballot 18 years ago, benefits from voter recognition of his younger brother Chris, the recent New Hampshire governor, and led in polls and fundraising after securing President Trump's endorsement despite past criticism of him. Brown, a former Massachusetts senator and Trump's onetime ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, trailed but argued his independence from the party establishment and lack of major endorsements made him a stronger general-election candidate. Notably, Trump's endorsement played a smaller role than in many other GOP primaries this cycle.

The winner faces the Democratic primary victor, a contest between U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas, backed by party leadership, and progressive challenger Karishma Manzur. The general election, replacing retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, is expected to be competitive given national dissatisfaction with the political status quo and could factor into control of the Senate.

Polling shows Democrats with a notable generic-ballot edge and competitive Senate races even in red states like Texas, Kansas, Alaska and Iowa, fueling talk of a possible "blue wave." That raises the bar for what counts as success: history shows the president's party almost always loses House seats in midterms, and the House and Senate often move in opposite directions. Republicans hold a razor-thin House majority (218-214) and a 53-45 Senate edge, so Democrats need net gains of four seats in each chamber to take control. Analysts note tossup races favor Democrats overall, but unique factors in each state make outcomes uncertain, and any result short of major gains could be framed as a disappointment for Democrats despite favorable conditions.

New Hampshire Rep. Chris Pappas, the Democratic frontrunner for the state's open Senate seat, says his party should not overlook the race as competitive polling shows him running close with potential Republican challengers ahead of the September 8 primary. In an interview with CNN, Pappas cautioned against complacency in a state Democrats have long counted on to hold.

Pappas declined to say whether he would back Sen. Chuck Schumer to remain Senate Democratic leader, reflecting broader intraparty tension over leadership as Democrats look to flip seats and retake the majority. He also addressed the prospect of support from AIPAC, a topic that has stirred debate among Democratic candidates nationally. The race adds to a competitive map of Senate contests that will shape control of the chamber, with New Hampshire now viewed as more of a battleground than previously assumed.

The Republican National Committee has confirmed South Carolina will keep its "first in the South" status for the 2028 presidential primary, voting fourth overall after Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. The decision, approved at an RNC midterm convention in Dallas, preserves an early-state order that has held for roughly 40 years. An exact date hasn't been set, but the contest will likely fall in mid-to-late February, with the full calendar expected by next summer, according to state GOP Chairman Drew McKissick.

South Carolina's Republican primary has been a strong bellwether, with its winner capturing the GOP nomination in every cycle since 1980 except 2012. Trump won the state decisively in 2024. With Democrats set to open their own 2028 calendar in South Carolina on January 22, and Trump term-limited out of the race, the state is shaping up as an early battleground for both parties, already drawing visits from prospective candidates and allies.

The United States commemorated the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks Friday with ceremonies at the World Trade Center site, the Pentagon, and the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. President Donald Trump attended the Pentagon observance, while former presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden joined Vice President JD Vance at the New York ceremony, where victims' relatives read the names of the nearly 3,000 people killed. For the first time, organizers added a moment of silence honoring those who later died of cancer and other illnesses linked to toxic dust from the towers' collapse.

The anniversary drew attention to New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the city's first Muslim mayor, who faced criticism from some Republicans and victims' families for attending the ceremony but said he wanted the day focused on victims' families and first responders. The attacks reshaped U.S. security policy, air travel and foreign policy, launching wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and Sept. 11 remains observed nationally as Patriot Day and a National Day of Service and Remembrance.

Since 2001, Lakewood Township has transferred 220 acres of public land near the Jersey Shore BlueClaws stadium at no cost to a development arm of Beth Medrash Govoha (BMG), a large Orthodox Jewish yeshiva. The entity, Cedarbridge Development, has resold the land to builders for nearly $70 million, while developers have saved over $8.6 million through local tax breaks (PILOTs) since 2018. A 2010 lawsuit challenging the deal as unconstitutional was dismissed. Constitutional experts say the arrangement may violate the state constitution's "gift clause" barring giveaways of public property without clear public benefit.

The New Jersey State Commission of Investigation is now examining similar municipal land deals involving PILOT tax breaks statewide, without confirming whether Lakewood is a specific target. The scrutiny comes as Lakewood faces a budget shortfall, a hiring freeze, and warnings of 2027 layoffs.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear visited New Hampshire to promote his new book, "Go and Do Likewise," and campaign for fellow Democrats. During an interview and book signing in Concord, Beshear said he wrote the book out of frustration with faith being used to justify harmful policies rather than to help people, citing cuts to food benefits and rural hospital closures.

Beshear also criticized President Donald Trump's political style, saying it fosters division by framing issues as "us versus them" and invoking rhetoric about an "enemy from within," which he called contrary to the golden rule. As chair of the Democratic Governors Association, Beshear said his immediate focus is on winning governors' races in November, arguing they will shape the electoral map for 2028. He said he plans to finish his DGA term in December before deciding on any national ambitions, including a potential presidential run.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., campaigned in New Hampshire on behalf of Democrats ahead of the midterm elections, urging the party to pair ambitious policy proposals with disciplined messaging. Speaking at a Rochester barbecue restaurant whose owner described rising input costs squeezing small businesses, Khanna argued Democrats haven't yet articulated a "bold, transformational agenda" and are currently benefiting mainly from backlash against President Trump's foreign policy decisions.

Khanna touted his proposal for a 5% billionaire tax that he says could raise $4 trillion to fund free college, free trade schools, and $60,000 minimum pay for public school teachers. His visit also fueled speculation about a potential 2028 presidential run, given New Hampshire's early-primary status, though Khanna said his immediate focus after the midterms will be legislative work in Congress. The trip underscores how Democrats are positioning both policy and personnel for November while early 2028 maneuvering quietly continues.