On this special edition of the New Hampshire Journal podcast, the news just broke that U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen will not seek a fourth term, the third swing-state Senate Democrat to decide to bail before 2026.

What does that mean for New Hampshire? We ask veteran GOP strategist Jim Merrill for his insights into the Granite State's 2026 election cycle without Shaheen at the top of the ticket.

What does it mean for D.C. Democrats and their hopes of winning back control of the upper chamber? Dave Weigel of Semafor reports from Washington on reactions at the national level.

This special edition of the podcast is made possible by Perfect Smiles of Nashua.

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