Republican U.S. Senate candidate John Sununu is best known to New Hampshire voters for his work in government, including three terms in the House and a single term in the Senate. But as Sununu works to win the votes that could return him to Capitol Hill, he’s mostly emphasizing his private sector experience — and in particular what he calls his small business background.
Here’s a look at how that claim stacks up against Sununu’s record.
How Sununu describes his small business credentials
One way Sununu emphasizes his connection to small business is by campaigning a lot at small businesses. Factory tours and drop-ins at local businesses of all sorts are a staple for Sununu as he looks for votes. Sununu has also been endorsed by the National Federation of Independent Businesses, which represents small-business interests and tends to back Republican candidates.
There is also what Sununu himself says as he campaigns.
“New Hampshire is a small business state,” Sununu told NHPR recently. “That’s where most of the people work. That’s where the jobs are created. That’s my background.”
Read more: Catch up on all of NHPR's 2026 campaign coverage here.
When asked for more detail, Sununu’s campaign pointed to three items on his resume.
One is Sununu’s work at a company called Teletrol Systems some 30 years ago. Teletrol was a smallish building automation company with roughly 30 employees, then owned by Manchester businessman Dean Kamen. For a time, Sununu ran operations there: It was the last job he held before he first ran for Congress in 1996.
Sununu’s campaign also says Sununu’s involvement at the Waterville Valley ski resort, which his family purchased in 2010, is “small business” work.
Working on the 'stealth boat'
The other item Sununu’s campaign characterizes as "small business" experience is something that’s gotten scant attention this election: his work advising Juliet Marine, a privately-held company based in Portsmouth.
More than a decade ago, Juliet Marine developed a so-called "stealth boat," known as
the Ghost, that could evade radar detection.
The idea was to sell such boats to the U.S. Navy, but the Navy and Juliet never came to terms on any deal, and the government then essentially blocked Juliet from trying to sell them to U.S. allies.
Juliet remains a registered business, but it appears to be dormant these days.
Sununu’s assets have grown considerably since leaving DC
Since leaving the U.S. Senate in 2009, Sununu’s wealth has grown significantly — a not-uncommon occurrence for former members of Congress.
According to Sununu’s financial disclosures, he had assets worth about a million dollars when he left Congress. His most recent financial disclosure, filed when he got into this race, lists holdings worth up to $36 million. According to this year’s disclosure, that increase in his net worth comes from a range of sources: a broad portfolio of stocks; a stake in the gold, silver and copper mine his family helps run in Azerbaijan worth up to $5 million; and real estate tied to the family’s resort in Waterville Valley, among other holdings.
Out of politics, Sununu earned wealth on corporate boards and consulting
When Sununu left the Senate, he took a job at a major DC lobbying firm, Akin Gump. He was never a registered lobbyist but advised a range of corporate clients.
Sununu has also sat on corporate boards: Last year alone, Sununu earned $400,000 as a director at Boston Scientific, a medical product manufacturer. Sununu’s affiliation with that company stretches back to 2009, and it’s been lucrative. Sununu holds Boston Scientific shares worth between $5 million and $25 million, accounting for the lion’s share of his reported wealth.
Last year, Sununu also collected $220,000 for consulting with Lloyds America, an insurance concern affiliated with Lloyds of London. He earned another $75,000 for consulting work with TAP advisors, a New York-based investment firm.
Other work includes higher education and civic issues
Sununu was paid $200,000 last year to advise MIT, a university from which he holds two degrees. His work coincided with growing scrutiny of major universities by the Trump administration over antisemitism, DEI policies and research funding.
Sununu collected another $180,000 advising Democracy Defense, a national group that aims to build confidence in election outcomes. Sununu also taught a class at St. Anselm College, for which he was paid $4,600.
In short, an array of activity, very little of it tied to the small business world Sununu says produced him.
