Republican Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire is interviewed by Fox News Digital on his final full day in office, on Jan. 8, 2025 at the Statehouse in Concord, New Hampshire. (Fox News - Paul Steinhauser)
Sununu's decision comes a week after he met at the White House with President Donald Trump.
Trump, when asked by reporters about Sununu as he flew to Washington, D.C., on Sunday night aboard Air Force One, revealed the meeting.
"I told him — he came to my office, came to the Oval Office, and [I] met with Chris Sununu, and I support him fully. I hope he runs," Trump said.
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Sununu, in an interview with host Jack Heath on "The Pulse of New Hampshire," said, "I'm honored to have his [Trump's] support. I'm honored and grateful that he would make the effort. He invited me down. We had a great conversation."
"The only reason I kept the door open was because of the president. His words and his support meant a lot," Sununu emphasized.
Former Sen. Scott Brown is interviewed by Fox News Digital on Dec. 24, 2024 in Rye, New Hampshire. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)
In the race for the Democratic Senate nomination in New Hampshire, four-term Rep. Chris Pappas formally launched his campaign last week.
On Monday, Pappas took aim at Sununu over his meeting with the president.
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"Chris Sununu went to the White House to nab an endorsement while Trump was destroying the economy and pushing devastating cuts to Medicaid. Apparently the cost of a Trump endorsement is selling out New Hampshire. Hope it was worth it," Pappas argued.
However, Pappas may not have the Democratic Senate primary in New Hampshire all to himself.
Then-Gov. Chris Sununu joined Republican presidential candidate, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley at a polling location at Winnacunnet High School to greet voters on Jan. 23, 2024 in Hampton, New Hampshire. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Trump occasionally returned fire at Sununu, calling him a "spoiled brat" and a "nasty guy," among other things.
After Trump clinched the 2024 GOP nomination, however, Sununu said he would vote for his party's presidential nominee.
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Earlier this year, Sununu said in a Fox News Digital interview that "Donald Trump is the head of the party, and he's the voice of the Republican Party, and I got to say, I think he's doing a pretty darn good job in the first couple months."
On Tuesday, Sununu continued to praise Trump.
"I respect what he’s doing. I really do," Sununu said of the president. "There’s definitely a different attitude down in Washington and I thought, wow, I could really be part of this. He’s talking about the things I care about – fiscal responsibility and making tough decisions."
Four years ago, Sununu expressed interest in running for the Senate against his predecessor as governor, Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan, who was up for re-election in 2022. The popular governor was heavily courted by national Republicans to take on Hassan, but on Nov. 9, 2021, Sununu announced that he would instead run for a fourth term as governor, upsetting many Republicans in the nation's capital.
Republican Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire speaks at the Salem GOP Labor Day picnic on Sept. 4, 2023 in Salem, New Hampshire. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)
Additionally, he heavily criticized the Senate. "They debate and talk and nothing gets done," he said at the time.
Sununu said multiple times last year, including in two Fox News Digital interviews, that he had no interest in running for the Senate in 2026 and looked forward to returning to the private sector. However, after Shaheen announced she would not see re-election, Sununu was lobbied by National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Sen. Tim Scott to take another look at running.
Sununu told Fox News Digital last month that while "the door’s open" to running, he emphasized "it's not open a lot, to be honest."
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Sununu, who was elected and re-elected to four straight two-year terms as governor, touted that "I have no doubt I can win."
On Tuesday, Sununu shared that "I really thought about it. I talked to the White House this morning. I talked to Tim Scott… thanked them for all their support and confidence."
He reiterated that "I'd win the race. That wasn’t the concern."
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/popular-former-republican-governor-whom-trump-urged-run-nh-senate-makes-2026-decision