Who will challenge Maggie Hassan?

Who will challenge Maggie Hassan?

Senator Maggie Hassan may not face the epic battle against New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, which many have been waiting for, but Republicans in the state still believe they will be able to win their seats in November.

“She is absolutely surpassable. I mean, only in October, she was the most unpopular senator in the country,” said former state MP Fran Wendelboe.

The data that Wendelboe seemed to cite, an October poll by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, showed that 33% viewed Hassan favorably and 51% viewed her unfavorably.

This poll predicted that a race between Hassan and Sununu or former Senator Kelly Ayotte, whom he defeated in 2016, would be close. But Sununu announced in November that he would seek another term as governor instead of challenging Hassan, and sources have told Politico and others that Ayotte will not run in the Senate either.

In a December poll by UNH, Hassan’s favorability (43%) was again above his unfavorable (40%).

Wendelboe says millions of TV commercials have helped Hassan, but voters are still disappointed with Democratic leadership, starting with President Joe Biden.

“Maggie has certainly followed the leader,” Wendelboe said.

The question now: do any of the three Republicans currently in the race have what it will take to defeat Hassan? Political analyst Scott Spradling believes so.

“Any Republican’s popularity ratings against Maggie Hasson are still pretty decent,” Spradling said.

The three Republicans are former Brigadier General Don Bolduc, former Londonderry City Administrator Kevin Smith and Senate President Chuck Morse, who many consider one of the first candidates.

“He’s a little more of a lunch Republican, if you will,” Spradling said. “Put on your watch, work hard, avoid drama, but it could be popular for the same reasons.”

“Kevin Smith is not well known. That will be his challenge,” Wendelboe said. “I think he’s a perfectly viable candidate. And Don Bolduc, I see him as a real dark horse.”

And what about the Trump factor?

“Nominating the Trumpeter in New Hampshire may be a way to win the primary,” said political consultant Pat Griffin, but “it’s not a way to win a general election.”

Griffin warns Republicans to stay away from candidates who deny electoral integrity or criticize vaccines or masks.

“This is what especially disables independent voters, and it’s a safe way to lose,” he said.

Still more Republicans could emerge, but with the election less than 10 months away, those who consider it will want to decide soon.

Silas Fiedler

Silas Fiedler covers the topic of emerging politics. After graduating from the University of Massachusetts, Silas is pursuing a master's degree at Boston University. Silas is an Colorado native who loves dining out around the state, taking his dog to dog- friendly places, and dreaming about the white mountains and fishing in the beautiful lakes in New Hampshire.