JUST IN: Longtime Democrat Senator Announces Retirement In Major Blow To Schumer

After “careful consideration,” one of the most vulnerable Democratic U.S. senators in the 2026 cycle is bowing out.

The announcement is another blow to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) who was already facing an uphill climb to retake the majority. Next year’s marquee race is expected to take place in Georgia where freshman Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) has managed to alienate allies and flip-flop himself into an embattled reelection campaign, and it appears a northern colleague is not keen to replicate his fortunes.

New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) announced in a video message on Wednesday that she will not be running for a third six-year term, setting Republicans up for an outside chance of picking up a state that was tantalizingly close in 2024.

“I ran for public office to make a difference for the people of New Hampshire,” Shaheen said. “That purpose has never, and will never, change. But today, after careful consideration, I’m announcing that I have made the difficult decision not to seek reelection to the Senate in 2026.”

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Despite promising she is “not retiring” and will continue advocating for Democratic causes as a private citizen, Sen. Shaheen’s looming absence now weighs heavily on the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, where chair Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) is tasked with allocating funds across the 2026 map. Shaheen’s 2014 reelection against former Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) cracked $46 million in total funds spent, making it one of the top 10 most expensive races that year, according to OpenSecrets.

Brown was spotted Tuesday on Capitol Hill where he met with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-ND) and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, suggesting he may be considering a run in the state he has called home since 2013.

Crystal ball ratings by Cook Political Report predict that Republicans will retain their 53-seat majority after next year’s election thanks in part to Ossoff trailing in recent polling. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), whose state was carried by President Donald Trump, announced he would not seek reelection, endangering Democrats’ odds of keeping the seat if the GOP fields a formidable challenger such as Mike Rogers, the former congressman who narrowly lost to new Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).

In addition to passing legislation, the Senate is responsible for confirming all federal judicial nominations put forward by the Trump administration, including the Supreme Court, where observers believe the Republican president will have at least one more chance to add another justice. That would cement his legacy on the nine-member court, where he has already appointed three conservative members.

Before the 2026 season officially begins, however, the Democratic National Committee must resolve allegations that its official fundraising platform, ActBlue, was potentially utilized for wide-scale fraud and even accepted donations from individuals linked to terrorist organizations, according to the NY Post.