Memo: Trump endorsement will haunt Sununu in 2026 Senate race

A memo from the New Hampshire Democratic Party circulating among top donors and strategists argues that President Donald Trump’s endorsement of former US Sen. John E. Sununu will haunt him through his 2026 Senate campaign in New Hampshire, framing the backing as a political weight in a state where voters have shown skepticism of both Trump and Washington dealmaking.

Trump endorsed Sununu on Feb. 1 for the Republican primary for the open US Senate seat in New Hampshire, calling Sununu him his “Complete and Total” choice in a social media post, a move that further separated the contest against former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown.

Sununu welcomed the endorsement publicly, but the memo, titled “How Trump’s Endorsement Drags Sununu Down,” argues the endorsement is a strategic vulnerability, not a boost, because it ties Sununu to Trump’s agenda and record — both deeply unpopular in New Hampshire.

The document claims Trump is “very unpopular with New Hampshire voters,” and cites Sununu as personally having said the race is “important to President Trump’s agenda.”

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Recent polling provides at least partial support for the broader argument that Trump is a polarizing figure in the Granite State. A University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll released in September 2025 found 56% of New Hampshire residents disapproved of Trump’s job performance, compared with 43% who approved.

The memo also zeroes in on Trump’s tariffs and the cost of living, alleging Sununu has defended the policy and refused to name a single point of disagreement with the president after receiving the endorsement. Sununu’s shifting rhetoric on tariffs has already become a topic of local coverage as he sought Trump’s support.

Sununu launched his comeback bid in a contest already expected to draw national money and attention after Sen. Jeanne Shaheen announced she would not seek reelection. With Trump now explicitly in Sununu’s corner, Democrats appear ready to argue the race is a referendum not only on Sununu’s record, but on the president himself — and on whether New Hampshire wants a senator aligned with Trump’s “America First” coalition.

Brown, Sununu’s primary opponent, has vowed to stay in the race, sharpening his attacks on Sununu, including calling out Sununu’s refusal to directly address his being named in the Epstein Files.

“I think it’s going to be a problem for anyone associated with those files, and he’s obviously referenced, and he’s going to have to answer those questions.” Brown said in an interview with WMUR just days ago.