Senate Democrats are already hurting after losing their majority in the upper chamber during the last election, and their numbers appear to be dwindling.

According to JustTheNews, Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the senior Democratic senator from New Hampshire, announced this week that she will not seek reelection in 2026.

That's extremely disappointing news for Democrats, as her seat will be hotly contested given that she represents an important battleground state.

The news is even more disheartening for Dems as Republicans strengthen their message and policy goals across the nation, pulling in more support than ever before.

What's happening?

Shaheen, now 78, told the media this week that her decision to bow out next year was a "difficult" one, and unsurprisingly, partially blamed President Donald Trump and his policies for why she's exiting the upper chamber.

Other outlets reported that Shaheen is the third Senate Democrat to announce their retirement this year alone, making it a dire challenge for Senate Dems to maintain any leverage on Capitol Hill in the upper chamber.

"It was a difficult decision, made more difficult by the current environment in the country — by President Trump and what he’s doing right now,” Shaheen told The New York Times.

The Hill noted:

Shaheen highlighted what she saw as Trump’s focus on dishing out retribution to his political opponents, looming cuts to the federal budget and Trump’s antagonistic stance toward Ukraine as personal concerns.

Shaheen joins Sens. Gary Peters of Michigan and Tina Smith of Minnesota in announcing their exit from the Senate before next year's election. 

National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Tim Scott (R-S.C.) was thrilled about Shaheen's retirement announcement.

"Another one! Shaheen’s retirement is welcome news for Granite Staters eager for new leadership. New Hampshire has a proud tradition of electing common-sense Republicans — and will do so again in 2026!" Scott said.

Social media reacts

Users across social media seemed to agree with Sen. Scott, cheering on Shaheen's exit to hopefully make room for a strong Republican contender for the seat.

"Republicans need to be smart in who they run. Don't need a dog fight between them," one X user wrote.

Another X user wrote, "The strongest candidate we could recruit for this seat is former NH Governor, Chris Sununu. Make it happen."