After Sununu declines presidential bid, question becomes whether he'll run for governor again
Candidates on both sides wait for incumbent's decision
Candidates on both sides wait for incumbent's decision
Candidates on both sides wait for incumbent's decision
With Gov. Chris Sununu bowing out of the race for president, the No. 1 question in New Hampshire politics is whether he will seek re-election and a history-making fifth term in the corner office.
In his interview with News 9 explaining his decision not to run for president in 2024, Sununu indicated he is open to the possibility of seeking another term as governor.
"Well, that's on the table, to be sure," Sununu said. "We're still in that legislative session. So, I've still got to get my budget done and all that. But I'll talk to my family. We'll figure that out this summer."
If he decides to run again, Sununu would upend a Republican shadow primary identical to the field that was shaping up in 2021 before he decided not to run for U.S. Senate.
Top Republican names in the mix again include former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, former New Hampshire Senate President Chuck Morse and Commissioner of Education Frank Edelblut, who finished a close second to Sununu in the last competitive Republican primary for governor in 2016.
"We have a number of high-profile Republicans in the state who have been kind of hovering around the governorship for almost a decade now, and they're going to have to wait a little bit longer," said Dean Spiliotes, of Southern New Hampshire University.
On the Democratic side, Sununu's intentions will also factor into the emerging primary between Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington, who announced her candidacy last week, and Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, who is still exploring a campaign for governor.
If Sununu decides to run, the Democratic contest could come down to which candidate makes the case as the most effective challenger to an incumbent who has never lost.
Some at the State House said they believe the governor should say something sooner rather than later, but the timeline is strictly Sununu's.
"He'll keep people guessing until the final moment," said state Sen. Lou D'Allesandro, D-Manchester. "That's been his modus operandi, and I think he's done it extremely well."