While she does not plan to run next year, Shaheen, 78, added that she would not be leaving her seat early. "Believe me, I am not retiring. I am determined to work every day over the next two years and beyond to continue to try to make a difference for the people of New Hampshire and this country." Former Massachusetts GOP Sen. Scott Brown, who lost a New Hampshire Senate race against Shaheen back in 2014, has reportedly been weighing another run in the Granite State. Brown was spotted at the Capitol meeting with Senate Republicans on Tuesday, and told Semafor that he is "thinking about" running for Senate.

Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire will not seek reelection next year, a decision that will end the longtime senator’s historic political career and deals a significant blow to Democrats, who were already facing a difficult path to reclaiming the Senate majority. Shaheen, who turned 78 in January, was the first woman elected to serve as both governor and senator in the United States. She announced her decision in a video posted on social media. “Today, after careful consideration, I’m announcing that I have made the difficult decision not to seek reelection to the Senate in 2026,” she said. “It’s just time.”

Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire is the latest Democrat in the Senate to announce her retirement rather than seek re-election in the 2026 midterms. The Wednesday announcement by the former governor and three-term senator in a key New England swing state will further complicate the Democrats' efforts to regain control of the Senate from the Republicans in next year's elections. The news also marks the beginning of the end of a long and successful career of the first woman in American politics to win election both as a governor and as a U.S. senator.