Chris Sununu, governor of New Hampshire, gestures as he speaks during the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) Annual Leadership Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., on Friday, Nov. 5, 2021. Following Tuesday’s results, the National Republican Campaign Committee added 13 House Democrats to the list of 57 it was targeting for defeat in the midterm elections as the GOP seeks to erase Democrats five-seat margin in the House and control of the 50-50 Senate with Vice President Kamala Harriss vote. Photographer: Bridget Bennett/Bloomberg
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu won't run for reelection next year, he announced Wednesday, shaking up the political landscape of the Granite State.
Sununu's impending departure from the governor's office — he still has 18 months left to serve — opens up a primary battle for the seat, with one fellow Republican already declaring his candidacy.
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"Public service should never be a career, and the time is right for another Republican to lead our great state," Sununu said in a Facebook post.
He didn't say what he planned to do next in his career.
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First elected in 2017 and now in his fourth term, Sununu built a reputation as a centrist, at times criticizing former President Donald Trump. He discussed possibly running for the Republican nomination for president in 2024, but last month said he wouldn't seek it.
Already in the running to replace Sununu on the Republican gubernatorial ticket is Chuck Morse, the former president of the New Hampshire State Senate who lost the party's U.S. Senate primary in 2022. The victor in that race, Don Bolduc, lost the general election to Sen. Maggie Hassan.
Morse served as acting governor between Sununu and his predecessor in the office, Hassan, and said in a statement, "I’m proud to have worked with him to put together a conservative, pro-jobs, pro-growth, family first economic agenda that has made New Hampshire the envy of New England and the nation."
Kelly Ayotte, a former U.S. senator for New Hampshire, on Wednesday teased an upcoming announcement, though she didn't say what it was.
She said she was grateful to Sununu and said the state's next governor "must be a tough and tested conservative who will fight to ensure that New Hampshire remains safe, prosperous, and free."
Last week, Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, a Democrat, declared her candidacy for governor. She released a statement Wednesday in light of Sununu's announcement noting, "Granite Staters have the opportunity to choose a new direction for New Hampshire."
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, the head of the Republican Governors Association, issued a statement thanking Sununu for his "incredible record" over four terms in office.
"Governor Sununu never backed down from a challenge, he made it a priority to deliver balanced budgets, lower taxes, improve education, and address substance use disorders for New Hampshire citizens. And, thanks to Governor Sununu’s leadership, New Hampshire now ranks number one in the nation for personal freedom. I look forward to seeing the work he continues over these next two years," she said.
