Pollster: Sununu-Hassan matchup would be ‘barnburner’

(The Center Square) – A new poll suggests it would be a close race between New Hampshire Sen. Maggie Hassan and Gov. Chris Sununu if he decides to challenge her in next year’s midterm elections.

The poll, released Thursday by the University of New Hampshire’s Survey Center, found that Republican Sununu leads Democrat Hassan by a single percentage point – 49% to 48% – which is within the survey’s 2.5% margin of error.

In a news release accompanying the poll, the authors described the potential matchup as a “barnburner.”

“If he chooses to run, it will be one of the most closely watched races in the country,” they wrote.

While Democrats and Republicans were evenly split over the two candidates along party lines, the state’s independent voters overwhelmingly support Sununu, the poll found.

Only 2% of those who responded to the survey said they were still undecided about the race.

To be sure, Sununu hasn’t said whether he will run for the Senate seat or seek a fourth term as governor in 2022, but has hinted at a run for higher office.

National Republican groups have been urging him to run for the seat as part of a strategy to reclaim the U.S. Senate in next year’s midterm elections.

The New Hampshire Senate race is expected to be one of the most competitive next year. Republicans and Democrats each hold 50 seats in the Senate with Democratic Vice President Harris serving as a tiebreaking vote.

Even if Sununu doesn’t run, the polls showed Hassan could still be vulnerable to a challenge from other Republicans.

Republican Kelly Ayotte, who lost the seat to Hassan by 1,017 votes in 2016, hasn’t said if she will seek a rematch next year.

The poll showed a tight race between Hassan and Ayotte if she decides to run again. Hassan leads Ayotte by 49% to 45%, with 6% either favoring other candidates or undecided.

Sununu, 46, who handily won a third-term in the Nov. 3 election with more than 65% of the vote, according to results.

The UNH poll showed Sununu’s popularity continues to be strong among voters, though it has slipped somewhat in the past month. About 48% of the survey’s respondents said they approve of his job performance.

Hassan kicked off her reelection campaign in December and raised a record $3.25 million in the most recent fundraising quarter, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

The UNH poll surveyed 1,540 likely GOP primary voters was conducted between July 15-19.

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