Possible ballot-splitting in New Hampshire: Could Sununu and Hassan both keep their posts?

The Granite State, though relatively small population-wise, will hold a large sway in the direction the country takes, as incumbent Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan is up for reelection, and the GOP is eyeing the opportunity to flip this seat. New Hampshire is a true swing state—though the state voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Democrat Joe Biden in 2020, both of New Hampshire’s U.S. Senators were preceded by Republicans and the incumbent Governor, Chris Sununu, is a Republican. Due to the competitive nature and the national stakes, New Hampshire will be heavily polled by The Phillips Academy Poll this election cycle.

Maggie Hassan, as the incumbent, is nearly certain to secure the Democratic nomination for Senate. It is too early to say for certain who her Republican opponent will be, though for now, retired Brigadier General Donald C. Bolduc appears to be leading State Senator Chuck Morse and other minor candidates in the GOP primary. Last year, there was speculation that the current Republican Governor Chris Sununu would run to unseat Hassan, though Sununu has since announced that he will be running for reelection to his post as governor.

As the popular incumbent, Sununu is also nearly guaranteed the GOP nomination for governor. As of late, the only Democrat in the running is relatively unknown State Senator Tom Sherman, who will be the Democratic nominee by default should no other Democratic candidates enter the race.

In November, it is possible that many New Hampshirites will split their ballots—voting for both Hassan and Sununu—resulting in Hassan keeping her seat and Sununu continuing to serve as the state’s chief executive. The nation will be looking to New Hampshire to see how its citizens vote in what will be a close election with national stakes.

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