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Sununu Previously Said Taking a Call from NRSC Chair Senator Rick Scott amid COVID Pandemic Would be “A Disqualifier for the Job, to be Very Blunt About It”
Concord, N.H. -- New reports show that Governor Chris Sununu has broken his explicit promise to focus on the ongoing pandemic and not discuss a U.S. Senate bid with National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chair Senator Rick Scott. Instead of working to fix New Hampshire’s failed vaccination program or to deliver aid to struggling families and small businesses, Sununu is spending his time discussing a Senate run with Scott, Mitch McConnell, and Washington Republicans. The Union Leader reported that Sununu had a call last week with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senator Rick Scott, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. After the call, “Scott came away from the chat with the view that Sununu is ‘60-40’ leaning toward a run.” But in December, Sununu was asked by Jack Heath on Good Morning New Hampshire, “Rick Scott … if he were to call you, now that Senator Hassan's officially in, asking for your interest, I guess the question is, would you take the call?” Sununu answered, “I'm really not thinking about politics and running for office. I don't think anyone in the country should be focusing on that right now. … to think, ‘Well, I'm going to focus on my political race right now,’ I think that's a disqualifier for the job, to be very blunt about it.” While Sununu is spending time deciding whether or not to run for Senate, New Hampshire’s vaccine rollout is falling behind every other state in New England. According to updated data from Bloomberg News, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island have all moved ahead of New Hampshire in per capita vaccinations. Vermont’s vaccination rate is 26.1 percent, Maine’s is 24.8 percent, Massachusetts’s is 25.2 percent, Connecticut’s is 28.2 percent, and Rhode Island’s is 24.2 percent. Meanwhile, New Hampshire has administered only 23.7 vaccines per 100 people. And now, Sununu has joined with Washington Republicans to obstruct additional COVID relief for Granite State families and small businesses. “Chris Sununu said it himself -- the fact that he spent time plotting his next political steps with Washington Republicans while Granite Staters are still waiting on the life-saving COVID vaccine should absolutely disqualify him from the job he has now, and any job in public service in the future,” said New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley. “Chris Sununu has only ever cared about using his position to advance his political and personal interests, and this is just the latest example.”
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