New Hampshire Republicans head to the polls Tuesday in a U.S. Senate primary where the top two candidates are both former senators who have been out of office for years, a setup that runs against the anti-establishment wave shaping races elsewhere in the country.
John Sununu and Scott Brown are the dominant figures in an eight-person Republican field competing for the seat being vacated by Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, who is retiring after three terms. According to ABC News, Sununu and Brown were among 27 former members of Congress who mounted comeback campaigns this year. Only nine of those candidates have advanced to general elections.
Sununu, who turns 62 this week, served three terms in the U.S. House and one in the Senate before losing to Shaheen in 2008. He has not appeared on a ballot in 18 years. Brown, who turns 67 this week, has challenged Sununu's rationale for running. Brown said Sununu is running on little more than his name.
Sununu's return has been complicated by persistent confusion with his younger brother Chris, who served eight years as governor of New Hampshire before leaving office last year. When Sununu announced his campaign in October, Fox News broadcast a story misidentifying him as Chris, displayed photos of his brother, and combined their resumes. In June, a debate moderator introduced him as Chris. At a recent Coos County Republican Committee event, a supporter took a selfie with him and told a reporter she liked him as governor. When informed of the mix-up, the supporter, Sudie Francouer, 82, said: "Oh, there's so many of them!"
Sununu has said he is focused on his own record. "I'm sure when Chris ran, people thought he was me," he said in an interview. "His independence and focus on New Hampshire is certainly something he got from me, and that I'll try to emulate as well."
Voters interviewed before the primary expressed comfort with the older candidates. Paul Martino, 57, of North Hampton, said he supports Sununu because he seems smart, honest, and civic-minded. "We need more people who try to find commonalities we can work off of versus differences we can use to be divisive," Martino said.
The Republican winner in November will face a Democratic field that includes younger and more progressive candidates, creating a generational contrast heading into the general election. The primary is scheduled for Tuesday.
