U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen remains silent about seeking a fourth term, shrugging off the frequent question by saying she has “plenty of time.”
But the 78-year-old Democrat’s fundraising — or notable lack thereof — is sending a message that she may not be making another run. And the national media have noticed.
Reporting on fourth-quarter fundraising disclosures, Politico said, “Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), who represents a reach state for Republicans, raised a measly $170,000 and ended with a stockpile of $1.5 million.”
Roll Call included Shaheen in a story Monday headlined, “Vulnerable lawmakers begin 2026 cycle with modest war chests.”
Also writing for Roll Call, political analyst Nathan Gonzales said, “At this early stage of the 2026 cycle, Inside Elections rates just five senators as vulnerable, including three Democrats (Georgia’s Jon Ossoff, Michigan’s Gary Peters and New Hampshire’s Jeanne Shaheen) and two Republicans (Maine’s Susan Collins and North Carolina’s Thom Tillis).”
Sen. Peters has already announced he won’t be seeking another term, creating an open seat in a state Trump carried — and another headache for Democrats who already faced long odds trying to flip four seats and take back the upper chamber.
But it’s Shaheen’s story that has Granite State political insiders buzzing.
First, there’s her silence.
In the 2020 race, Shaheen faced no serious challengers and was widely viewed as a shoo-in for reelection. Nobody viewed her race as pivotal in the fight for control of the Senate.
And yet, by this point in the cycle — February of 2018 — Shaheen had already announced she was seeking a third term. In fact, she announced it on her birthday (Jan. 28, 2018), when she turned 72.
Today, Republican Scott Brown — who she narrowly defeated by three points in 2014 — has all but announced he’s running. And given the 2026 map, holding New Hampshire is absolutely essential if Democrats are to have any chance of taking back the majority.
And still, Shaheen remains silent.
Then there’s the lack of fundraising.
“That’s a small number,” said one well-connected New Hampshire politico speaking on background. “Raises questions about how serious she is about running again.”
Longtime strategist Tom Rath, who left the GOP in response to the rise of Trump, says money won’t be the obstacle if Shaheen decides to run.
“Beyond her long service to New Hampshire, her stature in the Senate as ranking member of a standing committee is like an ATM card for fundraising,” Rath said. “She can start when she wants if she runs again, and fundraising will not be a concern.”
So, is she running?
“I have no clue,” Rath said. “And after her long service to the Granite State, she probably has a longer time to decide than others would.”
Veteran GOP operative Dave Carney, on the other hand, thinks Shaheen is done.
“There are three reasons she is not running, but has yet to announce it,” Carney said Monday.
“First, nobody wants to give more bad news to Senate Democrats after Peters got out in Michigan. But her lack of fundraising reveals her lack of interest.
“Second, she wants to anoint someone, so she’s holding out in order to box out other candidates,” Carney said.
And the third reason? “Her age. Her age and her energy levels have her questioning whether or not to run.”
If she runs again, she would begin her fourth term just a few weeks shy of her 80th birthday.
Asked repeatedly about the age issue, Shaheen refused to respond to requests for comment.
Polls and pundits agree the age issue is of greater concern in the wake of President Joe Biden’s ill-fated decision to run for reelection and remain in the race until July, long after it was clear he was too frail to serve another four years.
Ironically, Shaheen was one of the Democrats urging Granite Staters to write in Biden’s name when the infirm incumbent skipped the retail campaigning of the First in the Nation presidential primary.
Shaheen’s age came up recently on MSNBC, a Democrat-friendly network, last month.
“This is nothing against Shaheen personally. But according to Pew Research Center polling from just last year, 79 percent of Americans support age limits for politicians in Washington,” said MSNBC’s Chris Hayes.
“That is an overwhelming majority in our polarized environment. Seventy-nine percent of Americans don’t typically agree on anything these days, but they agree on this. Democrats should listen,” Hayes added.
