A bitter primary and a phone-jamming scandal defined New Hampshire's 2002 Senate race

History · Published 6 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The 2002 New Hampshire Senate election remains a landmark in state politics. It saw an incumbent Republican ousted by his own party, a high-stakes general election between a governor and a congressman, and a criminal conspiracy involving telemarketing firms that attempted to sabotage voter turnout operations on Election Day.

The contest began with deep friction within the Republican ranks. Incumbent Senator Bob Smith had briefly defected to run for president as an independent in 1999, famously disparaging the GOP platform. Although he returned to the party, the bridge was never fully rebuilt. His primary challenger, Representative John E. Sununu, received endorsements from fellow Republican senators, ultimately defeating Smith to secure the nomination.

The general election pitted Sununu against Democratic Governor Jeanne Shaheen. While Sununu won the seat by over eight percentage points, the campaign was marred by a significant election tampering scandal. A telemarketing firm hired by the state Republican Party orchestrated a scheme to disrupt the Democratic Party's get-out-the-vote efforts. By flooding the phone lines used by Democratic organizers and firefighters with hundreds of calls, the firm successfully jammed their communications for 45 minutes on Election Day.

The fallout from this interference was extensive, leading to federal criminal prosecutions and a civil lawsuit brought by the state Democrats against the state GOP. By 2008, four individuals had been convicted or pleaded guilty to federal crimes related to the operation, receiving prison sentences. The legal aftermath included complex appeals, with one conviction involving James Tobin being overturned, though he later faced charges for allegedly providing false statements to the FBI.

This election marked a turning point for New Hampshire politics. It remains the last time a male candidate or a Republican secured this specific Class 2 Senate seat. Jeanne Shaheen, who suffered her only electoral defeat in this race, successfully challenged Sununu in 2008 and has held the position ever since. The 2002 cycle serves as a stark reminder of how internal party fractures and illicit campaign tactics can leave a lasting imprint on a state's political trajectory.

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