Recently, former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu announced his interest in running for the seat of retiring U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen.
According to the New York Post, Sununu touted support from President Donald Trump, saying he does not doubt he will receive Trump’s support. Trump added in an interview, “I told him — He came to my office, came to the Oval Office, and [I] met with Chris Sununu, and I support him fully. I hope he runs.” Trump added, “He’s been very nice to me over the last year or so, but no, I hope he runs. I think he’ll win that seat.”
After this announcement, the collective thought came to a conclusion. Why?
Why is Sununu torturing us with his presence as a potential candidate? Thankfully our prayers were heard, with Sununu withdrawing his desire to be a prospective candidate for the U.S. Senate.
The unfortunate problem with his prospect of higher office is his vacuousness and lack of substance on issues. He was a notable fence rider during his terms in office, toeing the line carefully on the edge of excitedly conservative and dangerously neutral whether that be supporting and instituting his Educational Freedom Accounts program or repeatedly denying legislation that would legalize, tax and regulate marijuana sales.
The few times Sununu would form any type of stance on a policy issue it was usually to the detriment of working class folks and to the benefit of his political allies in business promoting slash-and-burn austerity politics that destroy state revenue streams, leaving public services in the hands of the financial butcher that is the N.H. legislature.
While what Sununu was thinking and what drove him to reconsider his bid for Senate may never be truly known, one aspect of his reasoning could very well be the Trump endorsement itself. As the most popular governor in the country at the time of his last term in 2024 and the disintegration of the MAGA base, he may have seen the writing on the wall. A Senate run with Trump’s endorsement could completely tarnish his anti-Trump appeal, forever painting him as a fascist and leaving him in the dust.
His change of mind saved him from a political bloodbath during the next election. As MAGA and Trump speed-run toward a political cliff, Sununu may have realized how detrimental that would be for his public image. We have seen in the cases of the Florida House special elections and the Wisconsin Supreme Court race that staunch conservative candidates supported by MAGA got handily rejected in Wisconsin and cut their 30 point favorability in Florida to less than 10 points. Associating with this administration is a guaranteed way to lose your race and Sununu may have finally had to acknowledge the authoritarian tendencies of Trump now that his political prospects are on the line. If only he could be more selfless in his decision making in the first place, maybe our state could possibly be in a better place than how he left it.
Timothy Fitzpatrick can be contacted at
tfitzpatrick@kscequinox.com
