Debate Over Debates Dominates Sununu, Brown WMUR Interviews

By Michael Graham, NH Journal

The debate that didn’t happen dominated the debate between Republican U.S. Senate candidates John E. Sununu and Scott Brown during separate appearances on WMUR’s “CloseUp,” which aired Sunday morning.

With New Hampshire’s Sept. 8 primary approaching, Brown accused Sununu of ducking voters by refusing to appear in the WMUR primary debate, a decades-old tradition. Sununu defended his decision, saying the candidates have already met repeatedly and that he plans to spend the campaign’s closing days meeting voters face-to-face.

“Scott and I have done two debates. We’ve done 20 joint appearances,” Sununu told WMUR’s Adam Sexton. “I’ve enjoyed those debates, and I’m looking forward to debates in the general election. But with just a week to go, I’m going to focus on continuing to campaign town to town and person to person.”

Brown disputed Sununu’s count, arguing that the candidates have participated in just one genuine debate — a New Hampshire GOP event in Hampton — and that Sununu is inflating the number of joint appearances by including events where candidates merely crossed paths.

“He’s lying,” Brown said. “This is typical Washington gobbledygook where you try to just kind of finesse it.”

Brown said Sununu’s decision to skip the WMUR debate was disrespectful to the station and to voters who may not encounter the candidates on the campaign trail.

“What about our rural voters? What about people up in the Lakes Region? What about elderly people in nursing homes?” Brown asked. “They have no idea what he stands for and really what I stand for, and we should have that ability to do that.”

Sununu also declined to participate in the NHJournal GOP primary debate.

Brown suggested the decision was evidence that the race is closer than public polling indicates.

“If he’s up so much according to these so-called polls, then what’s he got to lose?” Brown said. “I’ll tell you what he’s got to lose: The polls are a lot closer than he thinks they are.”

A May 2026 NHJournal/Praecones Analytica poll gave Sununu a 73 to 27 percent lead over Brown. A St. Anselm poll in August found a margin of 54 to 24 percent.

Beyond the debate dispute, the interviews highlighted disagreements between the candidates on tariffs, Social Security, and how aggressively Congress should challenge President Donald Trump.

Both candidates criticized the Trump administration’s renewed trade dispute with Canada, which they called an important ally and trading partner. But they differed over whether Congress should restrict the president’s authority to impose tariffs.

“It doesn’t make any sense to engage in a trade war with Canada,” Sununu said. “They’re one of our closest allies, an important trading partner for New Hampshire, a source of tourism for New Hampshire.”

Sununu said Congress has surrendered too much of its constitutional authority over tariffs and spending to presidents of both parties.

“Yes, Congress should take back some power, clarify the powers of any president moving forward on tariffs,” Sununu said.

Brown criticized Trump’s rhetoric toward Canada and urged the president to complete a new trade agreement. He said tariffs are raising prices for New Hampshire consumers but also acknowledged Canada’s high tariffs on some American products.

“Damn it, get in the room and figure it out, because we’re hurting as citizens of New Hampshire,” Brown said.

Brown also rejected Trump’s executive order renaming Lake Ontario “Lake America,” calling it “vindictiveness” and urging the administration to focus instead on the cost of food, fuel, and child care.

Social Security produced another clear point of contention.

Brown repeatedly accused Sununu of wanting to privatize Social Security, arguing the issue illustrates a larger disconnect between Sununu and New Hampshire residents struggling with the cost of living.

Sununu defended a proposal he supported two decades ago that would have allowed younger workers to invest part of their Social Security taxes in private retirement accounts. He said participation would have been voluntary, guaranteed benefits would have been protected, and the proposal would have made the program solvent.

Pressed on whether he still supports privatization, Sununu did not give a direct yes-or-no answer.

“That was 20 years ago,” Sununu said. “Today, 20 years later, we’ve got to work on a bipartisan basis to solve it.”

Sununu pledged not to reduce guaranteed benefits or break promises made to retirees. He accused likely Democratic nominee U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas of reaching two decades into the past because he lacks a record on which to run.

Sexton pressed Brown on his brief support for an assault-weapons ban following the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, an issue that continues to create friction between his campaign and some Republican primary voters.

Brown noted that he never cast a vote for an assault-weapons ban and said he would hire Second Amendment experts for his Senate staff. He also criticized the National Rifle Association for giving him an “F” rating, the same grade the organization gave Pappas.

“I’ve already apologized,” Brown said.

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.