The Trail: All Things Politics
Oct 10, 2026 · 37 min · 8 segments
New Hampshire's U.S. Senate race is considered one of the tightest in the country and could decide the balance of power in Washington, DC. The Trail breaks down the strengths and weakness of Democrat…
Adam SextonHost
Steve BottariHost
Well, yeah, more on that in a second, but let's start kind of with, uh, who we're seeing come into the state because we're seeing both Republicans and Democrats come up to the state, high profile.
Right now, they're kinda coming up under the fig leaf of, "I'm here supporting the candidates who are running for office on the ballot in November 2026.
I'm not here talking about 2028." Um, you know, on the Democratic side, I'm thinking about, we're taping this on, uh, Thursday, October 1st, Pete Buttigieg is coming again this weekend to, to chat with folks, uh, and he's been here a few times recently.
Uh, he's gonna be here primarily to help his fellow Democrats, and that's the assignment right now.
For anybody who is thinking about that presidential campaign in 2028, right now they are going around the country and trying to help as many Democrats get elected as possible.
Of course, here in New Hampshire, uh, you have some key races with Stephanie Shaheen trying to win in the first congressional district, and then Chris Pappas trying to win a US Senate seat.
Those are both sort of first-time races for those, uh, people in those particular categories.
He's also gonna campaign with Maggie Goodlander as well, not to be forgotten there.
And so he's really putting in the time, uh, making the effort here in New Hampshire.
And if he does decide to run for president, this is kinda gonna be his state, is my guess.
New Hampshire as well, but Iowa was where he really planted his flag and kind of did that Midwest thing.
Having seen him campaign there, uh, he l- looked a little bit more at home, uh, just a couple states over from Indiana, than he was in New Hampshire.
Not to say he didn't do well here at all, but if Iowa is not involved in any kind of way in 2028, New Hampshire then becomes sort of a home base for Pete Buttigieg.
... and kind of a surprise finish for this, uh, fresh-faced young man out of, uh, South Bend, Indiana.
And, uh, I think from hearing from a lot of people, uh, this-- he's a different person now.
A- and even you get that sense around him, right, that he's spent time in Washington.
Some of those things that weren't there for voters in 2020, uh, will be there this time around.
It's gonna be fascinating to see, if he runs, how that translates, in particular because it's not going to be the same kind of magical first-time campaign where people are showing up and saying, "My goodness, this may- the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, I'm, I really am resonating with wha- what he's saying." Um, one other thing I'll say about that is in these other states, Steve, where you see Democrats doing well, uh, sort of in the places where they hadn't been doing well, I think in particular Rob Sand in Iowa, the campaign that Rob Sand is running, the campaigns that these other Democrats are running in states where they are overperforming or exceeding expectations, are very similar in tone and approach to what Pete Buttigieg did in 2019 and 2020 that really skyrocketed him into the national consciousness.
Well, yeah, more on that in a second, but let's start kind of with, uh, who we're seeing come into the state because we're seeing both Republicans and Democrats come up to the state, high profile.
Right now, they're kinda coming up under the fig leaf of, "I'm here supporting the candidates who are running for office on the ballot in November 2026.
I'm not here talking about 2028." Um, you know, on the Democratic side, I'm thinking about, we're taping this on, uh, Thursday, October 1st, Pete Buttigieg is coming again this weekend to, to chat with folks, uh, and he's been here a few times recently.
Uh, he's gonna be here primarily to help his fellow Democrats, and that's the assignment right now.
For anybody who is thinking about that presidential campaign in 2028, right now they are going around the country and trying to help as many Democrats get elected as possible.
Of course, here in New Hampshire, uh, you have some key races with Stephanie Shaheen trying to win in the first congressional district, and then Chris Pappas trying to win a US Senate seat.
Those are both sort of first-time races for those, uh, people in those particular categories.
He's also gonna campaign with Maggie Goodlander as well, not to be forgotten there.
And so he's really putting in the time, uh, making the effort here in New Hampshire.
And if he does decide to run for president, this is kinda gonna be his state, is my guess.
New Hampshire as well, but Iowa was where he really planted his flag and kind of did that Midwest thing.
Having seen him campaign there, uh, he l- looked a little bit more at home, uh, just a couple states over from Indiana, than he was in New Hampshire.
Not to say he didn't do well here at all, but if Iowa is not involved in any kind of way in 2028, New Hampshire then becomes sort of a home base for Pete Buttigieg.
... and kind of a surprise finish for this, uh, fresh-faced young man out of, uh, South Bend, Indiana.
And, uh, I think from hearing from a lot of people, uh, this-- he's a different person now.
A- and even you get that sense around him, right, that he's spent time in Washington.
Some of those things that weren't there for voters in 2020, uh, will be there this time around.
It's gonna be fascinating to see, if he runs, how that translates, in particular because it's not going to be the same kind of magical first-time campaign where people are showing up and saying, "My goodness, this may- the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, I'm, I really am resonating with wha- what he's saying." Um, one other thing I'll say about that is in these other states, Steve, where you see Democrats doing well, uh, sort of in the places where they hadn't been doing well, I think in particular Rob Sand in Iowa, the campaign that Rob Sand is running, the campaigns that these other Democrats are running in states where they are overperforming or exceeding expectations, are very similar in tone and approach to what Pete Buttigieg did in 2019 and 2020 that really skyrocketed him into the national consciousness.
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