(Reuters) – Democratic U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen said on Wednesday that she will not seek re-election in 2026, saying it was a difficult decision while there were urgent challenges ahead.
Shaheen’s retirement creates a new open seat for Democrats to defend in the 2026 election, when they will have few opportunities to pick up seats, following similar announcements from Senator Gary Peters of Michigan and Senator Tina Smith of Minnesota.
“There are urgent challenges ahead, both here at home and around the world. And while I am not seeking re-election, believe me, I am not retiring,” Shaheen, of New Hampshire, said in a video message.
Shaheen, 78, became a U.S. senator in 2009 after serving as a New Hampshire state senator and the state’s governor from 1997-2003.
“I ran for public office to make a difference for the people of New Hampshire. That purpose has never and will never change. But today, after careful consideration, I am announcing that I have made the difficult decision not to seek re-election to the Senate in 2026. It’s just time,” she said.
(Writing by Katharine Jackson in Washington and Brendan O’Brien in Chicago; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
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