Trump-backed John Sununu wins New Hampshire Republican Senate primary

Frontrunner Sununu beats Scott Brown to earn Republican nod in closely watched race in November

Former senator John E Sununu triumphed on Tuesday in the New Hampshire Republican Senate primary Scott Brown, earning the GOP nod in what will likely be a must-win race if Democrats hope to seize the upper chamber.

Sununu, 61, was the clear frontrunner in the GOP primary. He served one term in the Senate from 2003 to 2009.

Brown represented Massachusetts, later moved to New Hampshire, and served as US ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa during Donald Trump ’s first term.

The US president threw his support behind Sununu earlier this year, despite the former lawmaker’s past criticism of Trump, including a 2024 op‑ed in which Sununu called Trump a “loser” and backed Nikki Haley in the Republican presidential primary.

On the trail, Sununu has tried to show daylight between himself and the administration, criticizing Trump’s tariff policy, urging Congress to rein in executive power, and questioning the decision to launch military action in Iran.

He told New Hampshire Public Radio it was “a tactical mistake” to go to war “without having a plan for protecting the strait of Hormuz”. That posture may matter in a state where Trump’s approval rating sits at 38%.

Sununu and Brown did not respond to the Guardian’s interview requests.

Kristen Cianci, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee (RNC), said Sununu was a “strong candidate” who was “well positioned to beat out Pappas” in a general election. “While Democrats have been consumed by infighting, Republicans have been laser-focused on real issues like affordability and security,” she added in a statement.

Sununu will face congressman Chris Pappas, who beat back a progressive challenger in the Democratic primary, advancing as most observers expected to what will be a closely watched general election that is critical to Democratic hopes of flipping the upper chamber.

Some Democrats , however, worry New Hampshire could become a sleeper risk – a state where Republicans control the legislature but haven’t won a Senate race since 2010, when Kelly Ayotte, now the governor, captured a seat.