Chris Sununu announces he'll run for fourth term as New Hampshire governor and forgo Senate bid

New Hampshire Republican Governor Chris Sununu announced Tuesday that he will not seek reelection and will instead run for a fourth term. 

Sununu's decision is a blow to national Senate Republicans, who had been pressuring him to challenge first-term Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan. Republicans need to flip just one seat, if they can defend their current seats, in order to take back control of the U.S. Senate.

Sununu was reelected to a third gubernatorial term in 2020, defeating his opponent by 32 points in a state that President Biden carried by 7 points. Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen also won in 2020 by 15 points. 

Before Sununu's announcement, Cook Political Report rated the race lean Democrat. Hassan raised $2.8 million in the third quarter and has about $6.5 million cash on hand. Sununu's decision to run for governor could open the door for other Republicans to enter the race. Retired Brigadier General Don Bolduc is running for the GOP nomination, but raised only $60,000.