By Veronica Stracqualursi, Sarah Ferris and David Wright, CNN

(CNN) — Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire announced Wednesday that she will not seek reelection in 2026, a decision that will bring an end to the senator’s historic career in Congress and sets up a competitive race for the Senate seat in the Granite State.

Shaheen’s exit could make the Democratic Party’s fight to win back the majority even more challenging in the midterm elections. The move robs Democrats of the incumbency advantage in a state that has moved slightly toward Republicans in recent years – electing Republican Kelly Ayotte governor in 2024, while Trump improved his margin of defeat there by more than 4 points from his previous run in 2020.

Shaheen, 78, has served in the US Senate since 2009, winning reelection to a second and third term in 2014 and 2020. She’s currently the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In a video message, Shaheen said that despite her decision to not reelection, “believe me, I am not retiring” — making clear she plans to serve out the remainder of her term, which ends in 2027.

Before joining the Senate, she served three terms as New Hampshire governor, becoming the first woman elected as the state’s top executive in 1996. She made history again in 2008, when she won election to her first term in the Senate and became New Hampshire’s first female senator.

Senate Republican Leader John Thune told reporters that he believes Republicans have a shot to win Shaheen’s seat. National Republican Senatorial Committee chair Tim Scott called Shaheen’s retirement “welcome news for Granite Staters eager for new leadership.”

New Hampshire Democrats have been privately encouraging her to run for a fourth term, according to multiple people familiar with the matter, but Shaheen had kept decision tight-lipped.

“I ran for public office to make a difference for the people of New Hampshire. That purpose has never and will never change. But today, after careful consideration, I’m announcing that I have made the difficult decision not to seek reelection to the Senate in 2026. It’s just time,” she said in a video released by her congressional office.

During her time in Congress, Shaheen helped co-create the Paycheck Protection Program during the Covid-19 pandemic, helped pass legislation guaranteeing rights for sexual assault survivors in federal cases and championed an energy efficiency bill with former GOP Sen. Rob Portman – provisions of which have been signed into law.

She was also the author of a law that aims to promote the “meaningful participation” of women in violent conflict negotiations.

As the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Shaheen has ramped up criticism of President Donald Trump’s approach to the Ukraine-Russia war, accusing the Republican president of appeasing Russia and denouncing the administration’s pause in aid to Ukraine.

Shaheen told The New York Times in an interview that “it’s important for New Hampshire and the country to have a new generation of leadership.”

The exit from Congress leaves vulnerable a key Senate seat for Democrats. Shaheen is the latest Democratic senator to announce this year that they won’t seek reelection, following Sens. Gary Peters of Michigan and Tina Smith of Minnesota.

Former New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican who left office with high approval numbers, did not rule out a run for Senate in a recent interview with The Washington Times.

Democratic US Rep. Chris Pappas, whose district includes Manchester, is strongly considering a run in 2026 for the open seat, according to a person familiar with his thinking.

Former US Democratic Rep. Ann Kuster, who recently stepped away from Congress, told CNN that she will “take a serious look” at running if Pappas ultimately bows out.

Former Republican Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts is also considering throwing his hat into the race for the coveted New Hampshire seat, telling CNN Tuesday ahead of Shaheen’s announcement that he’s “still thinking about it.” Brown, an ambassador during Trump’s first administration, had challenged Shaheen for her seat in 2014 and narrowly lost by roughly three percentage points.

Following the announcement, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman David Bergstein projected confidence in the party’s ability to retain the seat.

“No Republican has won a Senate race in over a decade in New Hampshire, and that trend will continue in 2026. This is exactly the kind of state where the building midterm backlash against Republicans will hit their candidates especially hard,” he said.

This story has been updated with additional details.

CNN’s Manu Raju and David Wright contributed to this report.

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