US senator Jeanne Shaheen will not seek re-election in 2026: Here's how it affects the Democrats

Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire on Wednesday announced that she will not seek re-election in 2026. This brings the curtains down to her long political career and handles Democrats yet another open seat to defend in order to regain a majority in the US Senate.

In New Hampshire, Shaheen's decision to not run for a fourth term will now result in a high-stakes battle in the state, which is famous for its 'fickle' voters, the New York Times reported.

Earlier, voters in the state backed Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and elected the party to US Congress. However, a Republican governor received majority votes in the region, while it also expanded the ruling party's majority in the state legislature.

What Jeanne Shaheen said?

Shaheen announced her decision to not seek re-election next year on social media.

"Today, after careful consideration, I'm announcing that I have made the difficult decision not to seek reelection to the Senate in 2026," she wrote on X and shared a video talking about her decision and thanking the New Hampshire voters.

She claimed that there were "urgent challenges ahead”, both in the country and worldwide. She also affirmed that she is "not retiring”.

She has thanked New Hampshire and said that listening to its stories and working with it on "tough fights" was the honour of a lifetime for her.

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Why does it matter for Democrats in the US?

Shaheen has now become the third Democrat in the Senate to announce plans to not seek re-election, with the other two being Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota and Senator Gary Peters of Michigan, the Washington Post reported.

In the US Senate, the Republicans have a 53-47 majority against the Democrats. This makes the party's path towards majority more difficult as Democrats now have to defend several of the open seats.

Shaheen, who has served in the Senate since 2009, was New Hampshire's maiden woman elected governor. She is also the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Former Senator Scott Brown is among the Republicans seeking a run for the US Senate from New Hampshire in 2026. Brown represented Massachusetts before relocating to New Hampshire.

In 2014, he gave a tough fight to Shaheen and later became US ambassador to New Zealand under President Donald Trump's first term.

Jeanne Shaheen slams Donald Trump

In an interview with the New York Times, Shaheen said that it was a "difficult decision" to make, which became even "more difficult by the current environment in the country — by President Trump and what he’s doing right now”.

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She even slammed the US President over recently announced cuts to the federal budget as well as his criticism of Ukraine amid its ongoing war against Russia.

FAQs

1. Since how long has Jeanne Shaheen been Senator from New Hampshire?
She has been serving the state since 2009.

2. Whom did she defeat the last time?
She got re-elected for the third time in 2020 and defeated then Republican candidate Bryant Messner.