Former Republican senator on potential bid to flip swing state seat red: 'this is a race I know I can win'

"I'm sure that if we put together a strong team, this is a race that can be won. This is a race I know I can win. And more importantly, it's a role where I know I can make a difference for New Hampshire," Sununu said, in his strongest comments to date, in an exclusive national interview with Fox News Digital.

The former senator, who reiterated he'll "make a decision in October" on whether to launch a Senate campaign in the expected competitive race to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, said "it's a winnable race for the right person who reflects our state's values, not the values of Washington."

"President Trump appreciates winners and understands that John E. Sununu puts this race on the map for Republicans," a national Republican familiar with the Senate race in New Hampshire told Fox News Digital.

After nearly two decades in the private sector, Sununu sounds like someone ready to hit the campaign trail.

"This is an incredibly important race. It's an incredibly important time for the country and I feel it might be the right time to step up," Sununu told Fox News Digital.

He said that "over the last few weeks, people in New Hampshire have reached out. They've encouraged me to run for Senate, because they know how important it is that New Hampshire has the right kind of voice in Washington, someone who will stand up for our state, someone who won't just be a rubber stamp for anyone else, but will represent New Hampshire every single day."

But it's not just New Hampshire voters who may be encouraging Sununu to run.

Also speaking with Sununu was former Sen. Cory Gardner, chair of the Senate Leadership Fund, which is the top super PAC supporting Senate Republicans. The source added that Thune and Gardner were cautiously optimistic that Sununu would launch a campaign.

Sununu is a brand name in New Hampshire politics. The former senator's father, John H. Sununu, is a former governor who later served as chief of staff in then-President George H.W. Bush's White House. And one of his younger brothers is former Gov. Chris Sununu, who won election and re-election to four two-year terms steering the Granite State.

But the Republican Party has dramatically changed since the former senator last ran for office 17 years ago. The GOP, under the firm control of President Donald Trump and his America First agenda and MAGA movement, has been transformed from a business-orientated platform into a more populist party.

Asked if there's still room for an old-school fiscal conservative in Trump's GOP, Sununu said, "good decision-making, good leadership, never goes out of style. Standing up for your state, standing up for your neighbors and your friends, and the things that make New Hampshire strong never goes out of style. Being an effective voice never goes out of style."

Sununu, along with then-Gov. Chris Sununu, endorsed former ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in the 2024 New Hampshire Republican presidential primary, as she battled Trump for the nomination.

And on the eve of the first-in-the-nation presidential primary, the former senator wrote an opinion piece titled "Donald Trump is a loser," that ran in the New Hampshire Union Leader, the state's largest daily newspaper.

"@JohnSununu was the original 'Never Trumper,'" Brown charged in a social media post this month. "He's going to have to explain that."

Brown endorsed Trump ahead of his 2016 New Hampshire primary victory, which launched him toward the GOP presidential nomination and ultimately the White House. Brown later served as U.S. ambassador to New Zealand during Trump's first term.

And Innis claims that he's the most pro-Trump candidate in the race.

"If there's a primary, I've seen them before. I've been through them before," he added. "I'm very comfortable with where we are today, and over the next few weeks, I'll continue to get people's perspective, put together a good team, make sure we have a winning message and make a decision in October."

Trump, whose endorsement in Republican primaries is extremely influential, has remained neutral to date. 

And the president may be willing to overlook Sununu's past jabs.

Earlier this year, when Chris Sununu flirted with a Senate bid after leaving office, Trump urged him to run.

The younger Sununu, who was Haley's top supporter and surrogate in New Hampshire, repeatedly criticized Trump during the 2024 Republican presidential primaries.

Trump told reporters in April that he had met with the former governor in the Oval Office and that he'd "support him fully."

"He's been very nice to me over the last year or so," Trump added. "I hope he runs. I think he'll win that seat." 

The national Republican strategist, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, said that "aside from his famous last name, Sununu is a serious candidate with the ability to fundraise and appeal to New Hampshire's unique politics. All other candidates - announced or considering - will have a very difficult time against Chris Pappas next November."

Asked about trying to earn Trump's support, Sununu said, "I'd certainly love to have support from across the spectrum, that includes the president."

But he added that "at the end of the day, this is about building support in New Hampshire, providing the right leadership for New Hampshire and the right message for New Hampshire."