# John E. Sununu **John E. Sununu** (b. 1964) is a former U.S. Senator from New Hampshire (2003–2009) and the Republican front-runner for the open 2026 Senate seat being vacated by the retiring [[Jeanne Shaheen]]. He is the **former senator** — son of former NH governor and George H.W. Bush chief of staff John H. Sununu, and brother of former NH governor Chris Sununu — and should not be confused with either. [[Jeanne Shaheen]] defeated him for this same seat in 2008. ## 2026 Senate race See [[NH-Sen-2026]] for full race context. The seat is rated Lean Democratic; the GOP primary is September 8, 2026. - **Primary**: Led the GOP field at 48% (Emerson, March 2026), ahead of former Massachusetts senator Scott Brown 48–19. His brother Chris Sununu's decision not to run opened the lane. - **General-election polling**: Tied with [[Chris Pappas]], 44–45 (Emerson, March 2026). - **Fundraising**: ~$1.5M raised in Q1 2026 — less well-capitalized than Pappas, a structural disadvantage in a true toss-up. ## Background A former U.S. Representative (NH-01, 1997–2003) before his single Senate term; an engineer by training (MIT) who built a profile as a fiscal conservative. Since leaving the Senate he worked in private equity and policy commentary before mounting this comeback. ## Why he matters for the KB Sununu is a dynasty-brand establishment Republican attempting a comeback in the Trump-era GOP — a contrast with the MAGA-insurgent profiles elsewhere on the 2026 map. His race tests whether the most durable Republican name in New Hampshire can flip a swing seat without a strong MAGA identity, and it intersects the broader Sununu family thread in the KB. ## Related - [[NH-Sen-2026]] - [[Chris Pappas]] - [[Jeanne Shaheen]] ## Joint-fundraising structure — disclosed 2026-10-04 Sununu Senator (FEC **C00924092**) filed an **amended Form 1** on 2026-10-04 — file **2016706** — disclosing **9 joint-fundraising representatives**, signed by treasurer Paul Collins. Three of them — [[One Team Senate Majority]], Team Moreno and New England Victory Fund — also appear on [[Susan Collins]]'s amended Form 1 in [[ME-Sen-2026]], filed the same day. Two file from **421 Office Park Drive, Mountain Brook, Alabama**, which is also the registered address of the independent-expenditure committee [[Civic Renewal Fund]]. Full record and the address clusters: [[Collins and Sununu Joint Fundraising Disclosures October 2026]].