Scott Brown is a former U.S. Senator from Massachusetts (2010-2013) and former U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa (2017-2020) under President Trump. Born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, he brings military service (nearly 40 years in uniform) and a populist, Trump-aligned political brand. He previously ran unsuccessfully for the New Hampshire Senate seat in 2014, losing to incumbent Jeanne Shaheen. Brown entered the 2026 race in June 2025 as the first major Republican candidate, positioning himself as a pragmatic conservative and Trump supporter. Despite support from NRSC early on, he has been eclipsed by Sununu's later entry and Trump's subsequent endorsement of Sununu. Brown is determined to stay in the race despite pressure and polling disadvantages.
Scott Brown was born on September 12, 1959, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and claimed deep family roots going back to American Revolution. He served nearly 40 years in the U.S. military. Brown gained national prominence with a shocking 2010 special election victory for Ted Kennedy's Massachusetts Senate seat, becoming a tea party favorite. He served as Massachusetts senator from January 2010 to January 2013. He lost his reelection bid to Democrat Elizabeth Warren in 2012. Brown then moved to New Hampshire, where he ran unsuccessfully for the Senate in 2014, again losing to Shaheen. After his 2014 defeat, he served as U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa from 2017 to 2020 under President Trump. Between and after these campaigns, he briefly served as dean of New England Law in Boston and worked as a political commentator and analyst.