Former New Hampshire Senator and candidate John Sununu blasted the Democratic National Committee (DNC) for its decision to remove the state as the first primary in the party’s nominating process in an interview released Tuesday.
“New Hampshire is the best place to hold that first primary because somebody without name recognition, without a huge bankroll, can come into the state, campaign town to town, person to person, and have an impact whether you’re a Democrat or a Republican,” Sununu told the Ruthless Podcast.
Sununu credits this dynamic to the state’s engaged electorate.
“We have an electorate that’s engaged, with the highest turnout in the country. And so, you know, the sad part is our Democratic delegation, [Rep.] Chris Pappas just completely failed to advocate effectively for the first-in-the-nation status of the primary,” he said.
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In an effort to place more racially diverse states earlier in the nomination process, the DNC approved a new calendar that places South Carolina and Nevada ahead of a proposed Feb. 8 contest in New Hampshire.
New Hampshire nearly destroyed Joe Biden’s chances in the 2020 Democratic primary, when he finished a dismal fifth. His campaign pivoted to South Carolina, where his landslide victory there turned everything around and helped him topple Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., to win the nomination.
Sununu is running for the Republican Senate nomination, looking to replace the retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. The son and brother of former governors, John previously served in the upper chamber from 2003 to 2009.
In the Republican primary, Sununu faces another former Senator: Scott Brown, who previously represented Massachusetts. Sununu leads in the polling and would likely face Pappas in the general election. Ruthless is scheduling an interview with Brown ahead of the Sept. 8 contest.
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The politically mercurial state has a Republican governor in Kelly Ayotte and GOP control of the legislature, but also two Democratic U.S. Senators. It hasn’t voted for a Republican presidential candidate since George W. Bush in 2000.
As Democrats look to take back the Senate, Republicans hope that flipping the seat in New Hampshire would put the body out of reach. Fox News has projected the race as
“lean Democrat.”
Podcast co-host Michael Duncan alluded to this dynamic during the interview.
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“In this environment, in this midterm, there are few opportunities Republicans have to play offense like they can in New Hampshire this cycle,” Duncan noted.
The interview took place as part of the Ruthless Midterm Interview Series, an ongoing initiative to interview major candidates across the country. The hosts have already interviewed candidates in 19 states, with more scheduled ahead of the November midterms.
Sununu highlighted his business experience and ties within the state as differentiating factors from the other candidates.
“I went to Salem High School, trained as an engineer, worked in engineering, technology, and manufacturing before getting elected to Congress,” Sununu told the Fellas. “We needed someone with real-world small business experience, manufacturing experience, someone who’s hired workers, helped train them, dealt with federal regulations, healthcare, and frankly, people who actually understand how these rules and laws and regulations they’re passing affect job creation and wages and growth.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Pappas campaign for comment.
