Brief U.S. Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) is running for another Senate seat again, but this time in New Hampshire, and Republicans really wish he wouldn't.
Semafor reported on Friday that the GOP was hoping Brown would "take the hint" when former U.S. Sen. John E. Sununu (R-N.H.) jumped into the race for the seat that he left in 2009. But Brown is all-in.
Thus far, Sununu has earned the endorsement of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Senate Leadership Fund and President Donald Trump. Brown doesn't care; he's in it to win it. Brown called it odd, because Sununu was such a hard "never-Trumper." He even went so far as to call Trump "a loser."
“Certainly, they want me to drop out, because that’s what they do. They’ll put pressure on me,” Brown told Semafor in an interview. “I’m not going anywhere.”
He said that had Republicans “been honest with me and said, ‘Hey, John’s thinking about doing it,’ I probably wouldn’t run. But they weren’t.”
Semafor characterized it as one of the "strangest" primaries in the country, with two former senators running against each other.
The GOP is jumping in now after Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen announced she would retire. Both men had previously lost running against her.
"Brown’s defiant stance is an annoyance to Senate Republicans, who would like unity in a race where they face steep odds anyway against Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas, who faces no serious primary opposition," the report said. "Given how late the state’s primary is, a bitter internal fight does Republicans no favors heading into November; but they have one nonetheless, in a state that Trump has never won."
Sununu's staunch anti-Trump stance from previous years is sending MAGA to Brown, he bragged.
“Everyone was surprised, and the MAGA people who were with me before are definitely with me now. They’re never going to vote for him. What did he do to sell his soul?”
Semafor spoke to Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who has served with both men. “Two good guys. It is kind of weird. Sorry to see it. But the Sununu family is sort of a dynasty.” He thinks it's a reason Sununu has "a better shot."