Don Bolduc Readies For Fierce Battle After Clinching Republican New Hampshire Senate Ticket

Don Bolduc, a retired army brigadier general, received the Republican ticket to run against Maggie Hassan, a Democrat representing New Hampshire in the Senate. 

According to the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, the general election in New Hampshire “leans Democrat.” This rating indicates that it will be difficult for Bolduc to replace Hassan as the state’s senator. After 82% of the votes were counted, news outlets declared Bolduc the winner of the race on Wednesday morning. Bolduc led state Senate President Chuck Morse 37% to 36% at the time. 

Morse made a statement late last night in which he admitted defeat and conceded the election. 

“It’s been a late night, and unfortunately, we didn’t make enough progress. I want to thank my supporters for all the blood, sweat & tears they poured into this team effort,” he tweeted. “I just called and wished all the best to @GenDonBolduc. The focus this fall needs to be on defeating Maggie Hassan.“

It’s been a long night & we’ve come up short. I want to thank my supporters for all the blood, sweat & tears they poured into this team effort. I just called and wished all the best to @GenDonBolduc. The focus this fall needs to be on defeating Maggie Hassan.

— Senator Chuck Morse (@Morse4Senate) September 14, 2022

Many Republicans are concerned that Bolduc, who ran for the Senate in 2020 but was unsuccessful in doing so, will make it more difficult for the party to defeat Hassan in the state of New Hampshire with his far-right platform. To ensure their success, however, it is imperative that everyone get behind him and show their support. 

After a Liberal political action committee began supporting Bolduc in the belief that Hassan would have an easier time defeating him in the general election, the Republican establishment began to rally behind Morse as an alternative candidate during the closing weeks of the primary. White Mountain PAC, an organization affiliated with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), contributed multiple millions of dollars to assist Morse’s candidacy. 

A recent poll by the University of New Hampshire found that 6 in 10 Granite Staters were against the Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade, making New Hampshire the most pro-abortion swing state in the country. Hassan, Pappas, and Kuster, all Democrats running for the House of Representatives, have made opposing a federal abortion ban a core plank of their campaigns.

Shortly before the election, Governor Chris Sununu, who left many Republicans inside the Beltway dissatisfied by his decision not to run for Senate himself, announced his support for Rep. Steve Morse. 

A businessman by the name of Vikram Mansharamani, a Libertarian by the name of Bruce Fenton, and a retired town manager of Londonderry by the name of Kevin Smith all ran in the primary. 

As both parties strive to secure a majority in the Senate, it would be a substantial and, to a great extent, unanticipated gain for the Republican Party if they were to be successful in their bid to unseat Hassan. The Senate is controlled by Democrats thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris, who casts the deciding vote in her role as President of the Senate. The Senate is currently deadlocked.