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.