The retirement of Senator Jeanne Shaheen tees up a competitive 2026 election in New Hampshire and opens up another seat for Democrats to defend in their uphill quest to reclaim a majority.
Shaheen, 78, announced Wednesday she won’t seek a fourth term in New Hampshire, which preferred Kamala Harris to Donald Trump in the 2024 election by 2.8 percentage points — a closer margin than in the swing states of Nevada, North Carolina, and Arizona.
Democrats presently need a net gain of four seats in November 2026 to overturn the GOP’s 53-47 majority. Most of the seats Republicans are defending ...