Sen. Jeanne Shaheen Announces Retirement, Opens Competitive Senate Race

WASHINGTON — Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., announced Wednesday that she will not seek re-election in 2026, heralding a competitive race to succeed her. In a video message directed at her constituents, Shaheen stated, “Today, I am announcing that I have made the difficult decision not to seek re-election to the Senate in 2026. It’s just time.”

At 78, Shaheen clarified that while she will not run for another term, she is committed to serving her remaining time in office, emphasizing, “I am not retiring. I am determined to work every day over the next two years and beyond to continue to try to make a difference for the people of New Hampshire and this country.”

This announcement marks the third recent retirement of a Democratic senator in what is anticipated to be a competitive midterm election cycle. Earlier this year, Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan declared he would not run again, leaving a vacancy in a key battleground state. Similarly, Sen. Tina Smith from Minnesota is also stepping aside in 2026, adding to the challenges facing Democrats as they seek to gain ground in the Senate.

With a Republican majority of 53-47 in the Senate, Democrats will need to net four seats in the upcoming election to reclaim control, especially since the GOP currently holds the tie-breaking vice presidency. Among the Republican retirements, former Senate leader Mitch McConnell also announced he would not seek re-election, but his seat in deep-red Kentucky is expected to remain non-competitive.

New Hampshire, while currently represented entirely by Democrats, has a history of fluctuating party control in statewide elections. In the most recent gubernatorial race, Republican Kelly Ayotte defeated Democratic former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig by nine percentage points. This marked a continuation of the trend as Ayotte succeeded former Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, who opted not to challenge Shaheen in the Senate race.

As the 2026 elections draw nearer, New Hampshire’s political landscape is expected to attract significant attention as both parties vie for control of the Senate. Alexandra Marquez, a politics reporter for NBC News, contributed to this report.