{"id":2599763,"date":"2026-05-07T07:34:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T11:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sununu-widens-lead-over-brown-in-new-hampshire-senate-race\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T07:35:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T11:35:22","slug":"sununu-widens-lead-over-brown-in-new-hampshire-senate-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sununu-widens-lead-over-brown-in-new-hampshire-senate-race\/","title":{"rendered":"Sununu widens lead over Brown in New Hampshire Senate race"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsununu-widens-lead-over-brown-in-new-hampshire-senate-race%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2599763&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>John Sununu is strengthening his position in New Hampshire\u2019s Republican U.S. Senate primary, widening his fundraising advantage and holding it off against Scott Brown as Republicans worry about how competitive the seat will be in the general election.Sununu raised over $1 million in the last quarter and entered May with about $1.9 million cash on hand, while Brown reported far less money-about $321,000 raised and roughly $783,000 in cash. Democrats, led by Rep. Chris Pappas,have raised substantially more,with $3.3 million brought in and $4.2 million in the bank, and the seat is viewed by Cook Political Report as \u201cLean D.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Despite trailing,Brown argues his campaign has a long-term plan focused on grassroots and retail campaigning,noting that new Hampshire often doesn\u2019t decide races until the final stretch.He points too an uptick in supporters at events like town halls. Polling cited shows Pappas leading both Sununu and Brown in hypothetical general matchups,and also shows Sununu leading in the Republican primary,though a notable portion of GOP voters remains undecided.<\/p>\n<p>Republicans\u2019 confidence in Sununu has been bolstered by Trump\u2019s endorsement of Sununu over Brown in February. Strategists say Sununu has effectively consolidated the GOP establishment through fundraising, institutional support, and family name recognition, while they question whether Brown has the financial resources to stay competitive through the primary. Brown pushes back on attacks over his Massachusetts ties, emphasizing his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/kamala-harris-recruits-woke-corporations-to-invest-in-central-america-to-stop-illegal-migration\/\" title=\"Kamala Harris Recruits Woke Corporations to \u2018Invest&#039; in Central America to Stop Illegal Migration\">long-standing presence<\/a> in New Hampshire as a homeowner and taxpayer.<\/p>\n<p>The Republican primary is scheduled for Sept. 8.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p>Former Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/3859381\/john-sununu-announces-bid-new-hampshire-senate-seat\/\">John Sununu<\/a> is widening his financial advantage in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/new-hampshire\/\">New Hampshire<\/a>\u2019s <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/republicans\/\">Republican<\/a> Senate primary, fueling fresh questions about whether rival <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/scott-brown\/\">Scott Brown<\/a> can keep it competitive as national Republicans are increasingly anxious to start the general election.<\/p>\n<p>The growing divide comes as Republicans view New Hampshire as a critical battleground in their effort to expand their Senate majority, even as Democrats argue the political environment continues to favor them amid President Donald Trump\u2019s declining approval ratings. Trump narrowly lost the state by less than 3 percentage points in 2024.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4558206\/michigan-gary-peters-warns-democrats-ugly-primary\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Michigan\u2019s outgoing senator warns Democrats against ugly succession race<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4558355\/massie-kentucky-house-primary-israel-spending\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Massie says he \u2018may lose\u2019 primary due to rival\u2019s pro-Israel cash advantage<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4558366\/trump-focus-south-carolina-indiana-victory\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Trump sets his gerrymandering sights on South Carolina after Indiana victory<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>Sununu, a former congressman and senator endorsed by Trump, raised more than $1 million during the first quarter and entered May with nearly $1.9 million cash on hand, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Brown, a former U.S. senator from Massachusetts and Trump\u2019s ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, raised $321,000 and reported $783,000 cash on hand during the same period. Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas brought in $3.3 million and started the month with $4.2 million in the bank.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Despite trailing in fundraising and polling, Brown insisted his campaign is following a long-term strategy rooted in grassroots outreach and retail politics, arguing New Hampshire elections are rarely decided this early.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI expected it to be a battle,\u201d Brown said in an interview with the <em>Washington Examiner. <\/em>\u201cWhen you\u2019re going up against the well-known family name and fighting against all the powers that be, it reminds me a lot of 2010 when I basically was the guy who was just a state senator and ended up winning after being down 41 points.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Brown brushed aside concerns about spending more money than he raised during the quarter, saying his campaign remains on track and well-positioned organizationally despite the fundraising disparity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have a budget. We\u2019re sticking to that budget. We have a plan. We\u2019re executing the plan,\u201d Brown said. \u201cWe\u2019re fully staffed up, we have plenty of signs and bumper stickers and volunteers, so we feel very comfortable where we\u2019re at.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He also argued it is still too early to draw firm conclusions about the race, pointing to New Hampshire\u2019s history of late-deciding voters and saying more engagement typically comes once winter ends and campaigning intensifies.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNew Hampshire historically breaks the last month of the campaign almost in every election,\u201d Brown said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to continue to meet people and do the things that we\u2019ve been doing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>As evidence that his message is gaining traction, Brown pointed to recent grassroots events that he said have exceeded expectations, including town halls, volunteer sign standouts, and door-knocking operations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe expected 90 to 100 people. We got over 200 people,\u201d Brown said of a recent town hall. \u201cAlmost everybody there wanted a sign, took a bumper sticker.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The nonpartisan Cook Political Report <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cookpolitical.com\/senate\/race\/488636\">rates the open seat as \u201cLean D.\u201d<\/a> But Republicans see an opening after early polling showed Pappas and Sununu essentially tied in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/poll-kemp-perdue-locked-in-tight-georgia-gop-primary-both-tied-with-stacey-abrams\/\" title=\"Poll: Kemp, Perdue Locked in Tight Georgia GOP Primary; Both Tied with Stacey Abrams\">hypothetical general election matchup<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>An Emerson College Polling survey <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/emersoncollegepolling.com\/new-hampshire-2026-sununu-leads-gop-nomination-ties-pappas-for-senate\/\">released in March<\/a> found Pappas leading Sununu 45% to 44%, while Pappas led Brown by a wider 48% to 39%. The same survey showed Sununu dominating the Republican primary field, taking nearly 48% support among likely GOP primary voters compared to Brown\u2019s 19%, though roughly one-third of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/vindictive-gop-candidate-launches-unconventional-line-of-attack-to-unseat-dem-gov\/\" title=\"\u2018Vindictive\u2019: GOP Candidate Launches Unconventional Line Of Attack To Un... Dem Gov\">voters remained undecided<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In February, Trump <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4442386\/trump-endorse-john-sununu-new-hampshire-senate\/\">endorsed<\/a> Sununu over Brown, backing the former senator despite Sununu\u2019s history as a Trump critic. Republicans viewed the endorsement as a major boost for Sununu as the party looks to flip the Democratic-held seat following retiring Sen. Jeanne Shaheen\u2019s (D-NH) <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3344894\/jeanne-shaheen-no-reelection-2026-senate-new-hampshire\/\">decision<\/a> not to seek reelection.<\/p>\n<p>Brown suggested Trump\u2019s decision to endorse Sununu may have ultimately helped his own candidacy, arguing his outsider image and willingness to break with the president at times could resonate with New Hampshire independents, who often play a decisive role in statewide races.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt opened up a new lane for me to get support from the independents who really control the voting here in New Hampshire,\u201d Brown said of Trump\u2019s endorsement of Sununu. \u201cThey know that I\u2019m the independent guy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>National Republicans have also begun pouring resources into the race. The Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), announced plans to spend $17 million in New Hampshire as Republicans try to expand their Senate majority. <\/p>\n<p>Still, several Republican strategists in New Hampshire suggested Sununu has already effectively consolidated much of the GOP establishment behind him, aided by Trump\u2019s endorsement and his family\u2019s long-standing political profile in the state.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think Sununu has secured the vast majority of Republican primary voters,\u201d longtime New Hampshire GOP strategist Dave Carney said.<\/p>\n<p>Carney pointed to Sununu\u2019s fundraising edge, polling advantage, and institutional support, arguing Brown has failed to demonstrate he can build a sustainable statewide campaign.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe hasn\u2019t gotten a single endorsement since this race started,\u201d Carney said. \u201cThe voters are pressuring him by dropping their support.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Veteran Republican consultant Mike Dennehy similarly argued consolidation around Sununu is already occurring \u201cby default\u201d because of the former senator\u2019s strength.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt would obviously be better for Sununu if Scott Brown would just drop out,\u201d Dennehy said. \u201cBut he does not seem to have any intention of doing that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dennehy also questioned whether Brown has the financial footing necessary to sustain a competitive statewide operation through the primary.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf he\u2019s hoping to be competitive, he needs to raise $2 million to $3 million,\u201d Dennehy said. \u201cBut he hasn\u2019t been able to do that in any quarter, so it\u2019s just not going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Carney also argued that Brown had baggage from his ties to neighboring Massachusetts. He said New Hampshire voters remain deeply skeptical of Massachusetts politicians, describing it as both a cultural and political divide.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNobody here in New Hampshire thinks, \u2018Man, we need more of that here,\u2019\u201d Carney said of Massachusetts politics.<\/p>\n<p>Brown pushed back on attacks questioning his ties to New Hampshire, arguing voters view him as a longtime member of the community despite his past service representing neighboring Massachusetts in the Senate.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve been homeowner taxpayers since 1990,\u201d Brown said. \u201cPeople get it. They don\u2019t really mention it, quite honestly.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Republicans also believe Gov. Kelly Ayotte\u2019s (R-NH) popularity could boost the party downballot, with some strategists pointing to her fundraising strength as an advantage for Sununu in a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/missouri-poll-former-gov-eric-greitens-strongest-in-gop-senate-field-against-any-democrat\/\" title=\"Missouri Poll: Former Gov. Eric Greitens Strongest in GOP ... Field Against Any Democrat\">potential general election matchup<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRepublicans have their best Republican candidate for U.S. Senate since 2010,\u201d Dennehy said. \u201cThey also have someone who can raise enough money to be competitive for the first time since 2010.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sununu launched his comeback bid in January after previously serving three terms in the House and one term in the Senate before losing reelection to Shaheen in 2008. His father, John H. Sununu, and brother, former Gov. Chris Sununu, both served as governor of New Hampshire.<\/p>\n<p>Brown represented Massachusetts in the Senate from 2010 to 2013 and unsuccessfully challenged Shaheen in New Hampshire in 2014.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4442386\/trump-endorse-john-sununu-new-hampshire-senate\/\"><strong>TRUMP ENDORSES \u2018AMERICA FIRST PATRIOT\u2019 JOHN SUNUNU IN NEW HAMPSHIRE SENATE PRIMARY<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>New Hampshire voters will head to the polls for the primary on Sept. 8, less than two months before the Nov. 3 general election.<\/p>\n<p>Sununu\u2019s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former Sen. John Sununu is increasing his lead in New Hampshire\u2019s GOP Senate primary, raising doubts about whether Scott Brown can stay competitive as national Republicans push to begin the general election<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2657,"featured_media":2599764,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-collage-r2g5devcu-1778119172055.jpg?1778104915&amp;w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[34059,79248,33594,34723,20652],"class_list":["post-2599763","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-election-2024","tag-jim-brown","tag-new-hampshire","tag-senate-race","tag-sununu"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/image-collage-r2g5devcu-1778119172055.jpg?1778104915&amp;w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2599763","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2657"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2599763"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2599763\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2599771,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2599763\/revisions\/2599771"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2599764"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2599763"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2599763"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2599763"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}