Hassan dispatches Bolduc in New Hampshire to win second Senate term

Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan defeated Don Bolduc to win a second term, fending off the Donald Trump-backed Republican whose own party establishment feared was too conservative to prevail in the swing state.

Hassan overcame President Joe Biden’s deep unpopularity in the state. Republicans went into the election cycle confident in their chances of flipping New Hampshire, but several factors foiled those expectations: A far-right candidate in Bolduc, a divided Republican Party and the reversal of Roe v. Wade helped propel Hassan.

While Bolduc tempered many of his more far-wing positions when he entered the general election, Hassan continued to highlight his more extreme positions, including on abortion and the 2020 election. Bolduc signed a letter after the 2020 election alleging that it was stolen by Biden. Hassan criticized Bolduc for claiming Trump had won the 2020 election. After the primary, Bolduc reversed his position and said the election had not been stolen.