Former Senator Sununu Enters 2026 U.S. Senate Race, Slams Pappas Silence On Platner

By Michael Graham, NH Journal

Democrat U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas is a partisan career politician who shouldn’t serve in the U.S. Senate, and Maine’s Graham Platner is a “socialist with a Nazi tattoo” who won’t.

That’s according to former U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu, who didn’t pull his punches as he talked to reporters Wednesday about his likely general election faceoff against Pappas.

“When Nancy Pelosi was Speaker, he voted with her 222 out of 223 possible times. That’s not New Hampshire,” Sununu said. “He opposes voter ID. That’s not New Hampshire. And just a few weeks ago, Chris Pappas voted for a national car tax. I don’t know anyone in New Hampshire who supports a national car tax.”

Sununu made his remarks after filing his candidacy paperwork with the Secretary of State’s office in Concord. Pappas and Republican candidate Scott Brown, also a former U.S. senator, had already filed and will appear on the ballot.

Sununu repeatedly made the case that he is “a strong, clear, independent voice” in New Hampshire politics with a record of breaking with his own party. That stands in contrast with Pappas, he argued, a career politician — “he’s run for office pretty much every two years since he got out of college” — who would put party first.

That includes supporting Graham Platner’s bid for U.S. Senate.

Asked whether he could imagine Platner serving in the U.S. Senate, Sununu didn’t hesitate.

“I’m confident enough in America and the state of Maine, and Susan Collins, who’s a terrific senator, that Graham Platner will never serve in the United States Senate,” Sununu said.

“It’s pretty easy for me to say the socialist with the Nazi tattoo, who wore it for over a decade, is not qualified to be in the United States Senate. Someone who denigrates veterans and women and minorities, as he has done recently, is not qualified to be in the United States Senate.

“Chris Pappas, my opponent, is unwilling to say that,” Sununu added, “and that’s unfortunate. It’s probably an area where I differ a little bit, that I’m just willing to tell the truth.”

Pappas was asked about the idea of serving with Platner in the U.S. Senate and working together representing New England. The New Hampshire Democrat said the allegations were “deeply concerning,” but would not say whether he believes Platner is fit to serve.

“The voters of Maine … they’re the only ones that can render a verdict on whether he’s fit to serve in the U.S. Senate,” Pappas said.

While Sununu still has to get past a feisty Scott Brown in the GOP primary, Democrats are treating him like the nominee. Their message is that Sununu is a lackey for big business who has gotten wealthy since leaving the Senate.

“New Hampshire already rejected John Sununu in 2008 for selling Granite Staters out to Big Pharma, Big Oil, and Wall Street,” said New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley. “Now Sununu is selling New Hampshire out again by backing Donald Trump’s costly war with Iran, his toxic tariff agenda, and the GOP’s inhumane cuts to Medicaid and Medicare.”

Sununu shrugged off the criticism.

“For the last 16 years, I’ve been in the private sector. The liberals call that selling out. My family calls it ‘having a real job.’”

John E. Sununu at the N.H. Secretary of State’s office, June 10, 2026.

Sununu, who served in the U.S. Senate from 2003 to 2009 before losing to Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, is seeking to win back the seat now being vacated by Shaheen’s retirement. The race is expected to be one of the most closely watched Senate contests in the country.

In some ways, it’s paired with the Maine U.S. Senate race. If Democrats have any hope of winning a Senate majority in November, flipping Maine blue is a must-win. If Republicans somehow turn New Hampshire red, there is virtually no chance Democrats can win 51 seats.

To some Granite State Republicans’ surprise, President Donald Trump endorsed Sununu over his former ambassador and outspoken supporter, Scott Brown, in the GOP primary. Sununu, who has been harshly critical of Trump in the past, was asked about receiving the president’s endorsement.

“I appreciate his support,” Sununu said, while insisting what’s significant is “not one person or endorsement.

“What’s even more important is that the president’s campaign organization in New Hampshire has stepped up — great activists who have worked hard in New Hampshire in past elections.”

Americans for Prosperity Action, which also endorsed Sununu, reaffirmed its support Wednesday.

“Higher costs, runaway spending, and a congressman who talked a big game back home while voting with Washington’s agenda,” said AFP Action Senior Advisor Sarah Scott. “That is who Chris Pappas is, and Granite Staters are done with that playbook.”

Sununu said that while the press focuses on national issues, he’s running a grassroots campaign.

“My campaign is town by town, person to person, and that organization at the grassroots level is going to be really important for winning this race,” Sununu said.

Asked if that strategy can still work in the social media era, Sununu told NHjournal it’s working already, pointing to an upcoming cookout event with U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.)

“Ours is a grassroots effort – and over 400 people at our campaign cookout is true grassroots.”

This story was originally published by the NH Journal, an online news publication dedicated to providing fair, unbiased reporting on, and analysis of, political news of interest to New Hampshire. For more stories from the NH Journal, visit NHJournal.com.