Longtime Senate Democrat announces she will not seek reelection

New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen announced she will not seek reelection in a video posted to social media Wednesday morning.

The announcement from the 78 years-old senator came after the New Hampshire Democrat faced intense speculation about whether she would retire instead of seeking a fourth term. Shaheen’s retirement announcement will likely put the New Hampshire Senate seat in play during the 2026 midterms.

Today, after careful consideration, I’m announcing that I have made the difficult decision not to seek reelection to the Senate in 2026.

There are urgent challenges ahead, both here at home and around the world. And while I’m not seeking re-election – believe me – I am not… pic.twitter.com/h0urg7ZZx6

— Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (@SenatorShaheen) March 12, 2025

“Another one!” National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman Tim Scott of South Carolina said following Shaheen’s retirement announcement. “Shaheen’s retirement is welcome news for Granite Staters eager for new leadership. New Hampshire has a proud tradition of electing common-sense Republicans — and will do so again in 2026!”

Shaheen would have been 85 at the end of another six-year term in January 2033, making her older than all but one senator in the upper chamber today.

New Hampshire voters are concerned about how Shaheen’s age would have impacted her ability to continue serving in the upper chamber, according to recent polling.

Roughly 60% of New Hampshire residents say they are concerned that Shaheen’s age would impact her ability to serve for a fourth term, according to a survey of 626 registered voters conducted by Praecones Analytica for NHJournal between Feb. 26 and March 1. Just over 16% of voters told the pollster they were “not concerned at all” about the senator’s age.

MSNBC Host Chris Hayes criticized Shaheen for considering a run for a fourth term in December.

“Democrats are not taking this [age] issue seriously, and they need to,” Hayes said during a Dec. 17 “All In with Chris Hayes” episode. “[T]his is nothing against Shaheen personally. But according to Pew Research Center polling from just last year, 79% of Americans support age limits for politicians in Washington.”

Shaheen’s retirement announcement comes after Democratic Sens. Gary Peters of Michigan and Tina Smith of Minnesota announced they would not seek reelection.

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