Senator Maggie Hassan, the former Governor of New Hampshire, has decided to run once again for the US Senate.
With Democrats defending 20 of the 34 contested seats in the 2022 Senate elections, they need to protect every bit of it to be on the safer side after the elections.
As Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan faces tough reelection ahead, New Hampshire could be hard to defend for Democrats, and a defeat here could make matters worse for them.
Senator Maggie Hassan has frequently gone against her own party and voted against the Democratic agenda in Congress, so many ideological Democratic voters may stay away from voting for her.
However, Vice-president Kamala Harris has endorsed Maggie Hassan’s ticket to get popular support from the residents of the Granite State, as a win here would be a sigh of relief for Democrats.
How has the 2022 New Hampshire Senate race turned into one of the most contested seats, and what are the challenges faced by Democrats amid the rising popularity of Republicans? Let’s see.
Maggie Hassan: A Weak Link in the Democratic Chain:
She announced her reelection campaign during her interview in a TV show, CloseUP. With an aim to completely recover the state from the pandemic, Hassan announced her reelection campaign.
Even the 2016 win did not come easy for Maggie Hassan, as she won the race with a mere margin of 1,017 votes.
The good news for Democrats is that no other Senator is up for reelection from the state which Donald Trump won in the 2020 elections; however, Maggie Hassan is probably the most vulnerable Democratic Senator facing reelection.
The popularity indicators are against Hassan, and if the business goes, as usual, Democrats are bound to bite the dust.
The approval rating for Hassan is standing at 42 percent currently, which indicates the severity of the situation.
Republicans could have averted even the 2016 win of Hassan had they played smart. Maggie Hassan successfully mobilized voters at the last moment, resulting in her success.
Not only this, but ex-Senator Kelly Ayotte’s criticism of Donald Trump forced many Republican voters not to vote in her favor. This way, Hassan stood victorious at the end of the day.
So now Democrats have to make a solid bid in order to defeat the Republicans.
By raising almost $3 million in the first quarter of the fundraising efforts, along with having $4.4 million in the bank for campaign spending, Maggie is trying to avert the Republican threat.
Hassan is also trying to establish her independent bona fides in the Democratic party by promoting the most popular aspects of Biden’s agenda of vaccine funds and a COVID-19 relief package.
She drifted away from Biden’s plan of withdrawing US forces from Afghanistan and voted against raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour.
So having the rising Republicans on one side and some of the ideological Democratic voters going against the Senator, Maggie Hassan’s seat is in real danger.
Governor Sununu: The Real Threat to Maggie Hassan in the 2022 New Hampshire Senate Race
New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu is enjoying the support of national Republicans to challenge Maggie Hassan for the 2022 New Hampshire Senate race.
Despite Joe Biden’s win in the presidential election, Sununu won the gubernatorial election in the state by a large margin of almost seven percentage points.
National Republicans believe that the high approval rating of Chris Sununu will provide them a much-needed win in the state.
As a governor, Sununu has a 72 percent job approval rating and 55 percent favorability, a pattern that shows that he can win the state quite easily.
Sununu also served as the Executive Council of New Hampshire and has a background of working in engineering and business.
Sununu also comes from a political dynasty of New Hampshire, as his father served as the State Governor for most of the 1980s, and his brother also served as a Senator and Congressman.
The New Hampshire Governor received applause from certain sectors for his handling of the pandemic and high rate of vaccine rollout in the state.
Recently, Sununu told a local radio station that he is still considering the idea of running for Senate and has not completely shut the doors of this assignment.
Read More: Pennsylvania Senate Race: Dark Horses in Action
Senator Kelly Ayotte: Another Possible Republican Nomination
Former Senator Kelly Ayotte is also looking for a rematch with Senator Maggie Hassan in the 2022 Senate race.
Ayotte served as the state’s Attorney General and was elected to the United States Senate in 2010.
After losing to Maggie Hassan until she made a reentry in January 2021, Ayotte remained out of politics when she testified in support of Attorney General Gordon MacDonald’s nomination to serve as the Chief Justice of the Granite State.
Kelly Ayotte has not made any official announcement of contesting in the 2022 Senate race yet, but she will be the probable Republican choice if Governor Sununu does not run.
She can also seek a gubernatorial ticket if Sununu chooses to run for the Senate seat.
Final Thoughts
A recent survey conducted by the University of New Hampshire concluded that Chris Sununu is currently the strongest New Hampshire Republican for the 2022 Senate election.
The polls show that 48 percent of the participants will vote for Sununu, 46 percent will vote for Hassan, 2 percent will favor any other candidate, while 5 percent are yet to decide.
Democrats need to devise an impenetrable strategy if they want to defend their turf in the 2022 New Hampshire Senate race.
Otherwise, this weak link in the Democratic chain can cost them their Senate majority in times to come.
Eli is a Political Data Scientist with over thirty years of experience in Data Engineering, Analytics, and Digital Marketing. Eli uses his expertise to give the latest information and distinctive analysis on US Political News, US Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, and Racial Justice equipping readers with the inequivalent knowledge.