Shaheen doesn’t rule out US Senate re-match

Former New Hampshire Governor Jeanne Shaheen said in an interview she “has not ruled out” running for the US Senate in 2008, which would set up a re-match between her and freshman Senator John E. Sununu.

One day after an aide to incumbent Governor John Lynch, a popular Democrat, said he would not run for the Senate, the nomination is essentially Shaheen’s to turn down or take.

In 2002, Shaheen lost to Sununu 51 to 46 percent. (A Libertarian candidate picked up the remaining 3 percent.)

Shaheen is currently the director of the Institute of Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. She was NH governor for three terms before running for the Senate. In 2003-2004, she was the national campaign chair for John Kerry’s presidential campaign.

If Shaheen stays at Harvard, speculation will turn to people such as state Senators Maggie Hassan, Joe Foster, and Peter Burling. Lynch associates are also talking up the prospects of Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand.

Shaheen said Lynch deserves a lot of credit for Democrats taking over the entire state legislature for the first time since 1874. In 1998, Shaheen won re-election and the state senate went to the Democrats, a move that harmed her politically because it forced her to move to the left.

Asked is she had any advice for Lynch, she said, “I don’t think he needs any”.