Governor cites work to be done, chooses not to challenge Shaheen but says he would have defeated her

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HAMPSHIRE FAMILIES... AND TAKING SOME SWIPES AT DEMOCRATS BEFORE HE EVEN HAS A CHALLENGER (ELECTION NIGHT) 189 DAYS AFTER WINNING HIS SECOND TERM, GOVERNOR CHRIS SUNUNU ANNOUNCED HE WILL RUN FOR A THIRD (WHY RUNNING) <XXXXX 36 - GOV 7:00 WITHOUT A DOUBT MANAGING THE CORNER OFFICE IS SOMETHING NOT ONLY DO I LOVE TO DO, LOVE TO BE WITH PEOPLE AND EXPLORE NEW IDEAS, BUT THIS IS CLEARLY WHERE WE CAN SERVE THE STATE THE BEST, ESPECIALLY GIVEN SOME OF THE EXTREMISM THAT YOU'RE SEEING OUT THERE NOW 7:11 XXXXX> IN HIS SOCIAL MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENT, THE REPUBLICAN ALSO SAID HE APPRECIATES ENCOURAGEMENT TO RUN FOR U.S. SENATE - BUT WANTS TO SERVE FROM THE STATE HOUSE (GRAPHIC) POSTING: "WE ALL KNOW THAT I WOULD DEFEAT JEANNE SHAHEEN BUT OTHERS CAN TOO" <XXXX 36 - GOV 7:35 WELL I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS ARE SAYING WELL OBVIOUSLY YOU'D WIN, SO OBVIOUSLY YOU WANT TO RUN FOR THE U.S. SENATE - WELL - NO - IT'S NOT ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN RUN FOR AND WHAT YOU CAN WIN AND ENSURE JOB SECURITY FOR 6 YEARS AS A SENATOR, IT'S ABOUT THE SERVICE YOU'RE PROVIDING TO INDIVIDUALS AND WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR THE STATE 7:52 XXXXX> <XXXXX 34 - AMY 5:43 IT'S A PATHETIC WAY TO ANNOUNCE YOUR RE- ELECTION CAMPAIGN, CHRIS SUNUNU HAS NOTHING GOOD TO SAY ABOUT HIS OWN RECORD SO HE ATTACKS A SENATOR THAT HE WOULD HAVE LOST TO IN THAT CAMPAIGN 5:51 XXXXX> WMUR POLITICAL REPORTER JOHN DISTASO SAYS WITH GOVERNORS HERE SERVING 2 YEAR TERMS, ONE BI DECISION HAD TO BE MADE NOW (TALKING WE ARE NOW A YEAR AND A HALF AWAY FROM THE ELECTION - AT THIS POINT - NO ONE ELSE HAS ENTERED THE RACE LIVE IN THE STUDIO JEAN MACKIN WMUR NEWS9 WMUR POLITICAL REPORTER JOHN DISTASO TAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT THE GOVERN'R'S ANNOUNCEMENT... AND WHO MIGHT NOW ENTER THE RACE TO CHALLENGE SENATOR JEANNE SHA

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Gov. Chris Sununu wants a third term leading the Granite State as governor rather than a first term on Capitol Hill as a U.S. Senator.The Republican chief executive announced Tuesday evening that he will run for reelection next year. He wrote that he was strongly encouraged to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen as she seeks a third term in Washington – a match-up that was viewed as a potential battle royale. He maintained that he would have defeated her.But Sununu wrote, "Nothing is more critical to our state’s future than ensuring strong leadership in the Corner Office and saving our New Hampshire advantage" in the face of what he called a "radical" agenda by the Democratic majorities in the state Legislature. Sununu wrote in a Medium post and an email to supporters that he and First Lady Valerie Sununu in the past few weeks "have taken a deep look at how my path of public service can best help New Hampshire families ...“We are getting the job done … more people are working today in New Hampshire than at any time in history. We have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation and wages are at an all-time high."He wrote, "I truly appreciate the enthusiastic encouragement from so many that I run for the United States Senate. We all know that I would defeat Jeanne Shaheen, but others can, too. Never before has a sitting 12-year Senator from New Hampshire accomplished so little."What is also clear is that the Democrats' agenda in New Hampshire has become more radical than any of us ever believed possible. This is highlighted by the fact that the Democrats in Concord, for the first time in history, put an income tax bill on the Governor’s desk" -- a reference to the description Sununu and the Republicans have for the Democratic paid family and medical leave bill."We stood up for New Hampshire citizens and vetoed that bill, but more Washington, D.C. extremism is on its way."Sununu had been urged for weeks by many local Republicans to run for another term at the State House, a job he has said that he loves. But Washington Republicans and some local Republicans have urged him to consider taking on Shaheen, who the GOP views as vulnerable.Polls in recent months indicated that a Sununu-Shaheen match-up would have been tight. One poll had the two tied in a hypothetical Senate race, while another had Shaheen up by only three percentage points. Shaheen is on her way to building a significant financial warchest for her reelection bid. She reported having raised $1.4 million in the first quarter of 2019 and entered the second quarter with $1.5 million on hand.Sununu would have received the full backing of Republican financial sources in Washington if he had decided to take on Shaheen. Whether those potential sources are ready to enthusiastically invest in a lesser-known GOP challenger remains to be seen.Sununu, meanwhile, told WMUR's Jean Mackin and John DiStaso in an interview shortly after his announcement that he made his plans known early in the election cycle because of the speculation that he might run for the Senate.He called it “a simple decision.”“We’ve had a successful run so far, and without a doubt managing the corner office is something that I love to do -- I love to explore new ideas. But this is clearly where we can serve the state the best, especially given some of the extremism that you’re seeing out there.”“There’s a lot more work to do, to be sure,” he said.“It’s not about what you can run for and what you can win or having job security for six years as a senator,” Sununu said. “It’s about the services you’re providing to individuals and what you can do for the state.”“We’re a very purple state,” Sununu said. “You’ve got to bring people together to get stuff done and we have a great record of doing that." Republican sources told WMUR more than a month ago that the governor had recently told them he intended to run for reelection rather than take on Shaheen. But after the report appeared, Sununu issued a statement that he had made "absolutely no decision" about his political future. Sununu’s decision leaves wide open the question of who on the Republican side will challenge Shaheen and who on the Democratic side will challenge the governor.Speculation about a Republican Senate candidacy has focused on former New Hampshire House Speaker William O’Brien, who told WMUR that he is moving toward a run but has not made a final decision, as well as two people who have never run for office – retired Brig. Gen. Don Bolduc and attorney Bryant “Corky” Messner.Potential Democratic challengers to the governor's reelection bid include former state Sen. Molly Kelly, who lost to Sununu in November; state Senate Majority Leader Dan Feltes; Executive Councilor Andru Volinsky and Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, who is seeking reelection this year as the city's chief executive.O'Brien, in an interview, congratulated Sununu for "responding to what most people who really care about fiscal responsibility want, which is for him to stay as governor."I continue to look at the Senate race and I've talked to folks who can be possible funders," O'Brien said. He said he has also spoken with Republican activists across the state, including Tuesday night in Wolfeboro."New Hampshire deserves better representation in Washington and courageous representation, and I know I can provide that," he said.O'Brien said Sununu's decision will not influence his decision."I've reached the point where the governor's decision wouldn't have made any difference in helping me determine whether to run," the former speaker said.Potential Democratic candidate for governor Volinsky said, "Chris Sununu was true to form tonight showing his pettiness and lack of vision."Unfortunately, this means that Granite Staters who worry about health care, or the quality of their schools or the burden of their property taxes will get nothing from him. He doesn’t understand that leadership is based on innovation, competence and hard work. We can do better." Volinsky told WMUR, "We're analyzing the race and hitting our goals in meeting people and getting support. The response has been encouraging from people of all walks of life and we'll make a decision in due course."Feltes, who is also eyeing a challenge to Sununu, said, "Gov. Sununu is holding New Hampshire back from making progress on issues critical to New Hampshire's families and small businesses."As for his own plans, Feltes said, "Unlike Gov. Sununu, I'm going to focus on the state budget and the legislative session, not running for office in 2020."As expected, the two political parties had opposite reactions.New Hampshire Democratic Party Executive Director Amy Kennedy said Sununu’s criticism of Shaheen and Democrats at the State House in his announcement was “a pathetic way to announce your reelection campaign. Chris Sununu has nothing good to say about his own record, so he attacked the senator he would have lost to in that campaign.”But state Republican Party spokesman Joseph Sweeney said, "We’re looking forward to the reelection of Gov. Chris to a third term while we retire Sen. Shaheen after her 12 years of ineffective service as our U.S. senator.”