Brown Rallies His 'Brigades' In Senate GOP Primary Battle

By Michael Graham, NH Journal

When Republican U.S. Senate candidate Scott Brown took the stage in front of some 200 enthusiastic supporters last week, he declared them the “Brown Brigades” who would power his underdog campaign to victory in the primary.

“I know how many people we need to win. We have a plan and we’re executing it. And to have you here is an affirmation that the efforts of the past months are paying off, because you get it,” Brown told the crowd. “This is where the campaign starts.”

Two polls released last week show Brown trailing John E. Sununu in the primary by double digits. Sununu has a fundraising edge and — perhaps most important — the endorsement of President Donald Trump. Most political professionals view Brown’s candidacy as a long shot at best.

But Brown told his supporters he is in it to win it, and he believes his grassroots support will swamp the D.C. machine and its designated candidate.

Scott Brown addresses his supporters at a campaign rally in Bedford, NH on March 26, 2026.(CREDIT: Andrew Dow)

“This is New Hampshire. We love debates. We drill our candidates. We deserve open, and fair, and vibrant debate. Do you think that the people in D.C. who are basically saying, ‘Oh, (Sununu is) the guy,’ do you think they care about us?”

Brown’s event began with a brief stump speech before moving to a Q&A, highlighting his willingness to take questions and engage with voters — unlike his GOP opponent, Brown says.

“When I travel around the state, I’m meeting people, I’m answering your questions,” Brown said. One person he spoke to early in the process was former Gov. John H. Sununu, John E.’s father.

“I met with Papa Sununu. I said, ‘Sir, what would you do?’ He said, ‘Well, if I were you and you make it through the primary, I would challenge (Chris) Pappas to go everywhere around the state, into town halls and debates or forums.’ That’s what he said to me.

“So I was at a wonderful event the other night, and John (E. Sununu) was sitting right next to me, and I said, ‘John, you know, I met with your dad, and he told me that I should go around the state and debate. Did he give you that same advice? Because I’m right here, dude!’”

The crowd loved it.

“What I like about Scott Brown is that he’s honest,” said Hillary Seeger, who spoke at the Brown event and urged veterans to support his candidacy. “Scott’s going to tell it like it is, whether it’s good, bad, or ugly. He’s totally honest and direct. And I’m so tired of people pussyfooting around everything.”

After the rally, Brown told NHJournal that his campaign is right on schedule.

“We’re raising money, hiring staff, making sure that we are ready to move forward in a positive manner.

“Our message tonight was that this race is far from over, experience matters, and that I am the only one in this race willing to stand before people unscripted to answer any and all questions.”

Alexander Bickley, a 20-year-old from Portsmouth, told NHJournal he’s supporting Brown because “Scott Brown isn’t run by corporations, unlike Chris Pappas and John Sununu. He actually cares about Americans, unlike them. He wants to make a change in Washington.”

A crowd of supporters greets Scott Brown at a campaign rally in Bedford, N.H.

Brown served in the Trump administration and was one of the first nationally known Republicans to endorse him in 2016. Now that he’s lost the president’s endorsement to Sununu, however, he’s trying to use it against the establishment Republican, whose anti-Trump views are well known.

“John got the endorsement, but he’s the guy who was with Kasich. He was with somebody else (Nikki Haley), and then he wrote an article saying ‘Trump is a loser.’ The whole family hates the president, and they’ve never supported him,” Brown told his supporters.

“So what did he have to give up to get the endorsement? And how high is he going to have to jump when the president calls him?”

The GOP leadership shrugs off Brown’s criticism.

“While other candidates openly question President Trump’s agenda and reminisce about the time they represented Massachusetts, John Sununu and the NRSC are focused on defeating Chris Pappas,” NRSC spokesperson Samantha Cantrell told Semafor on Friday.

Brown embraces the establishment criticism.

“People resent the dynasty approach and the idea that this race is a done deal.”

While grassroots support is important, so is fundraising. Can Brown raise enough money to keep him going through the Sept. 8 primary?

“We’ve raised a good chunk of money without even trying,” he told NHJournal. “I want to do these events all over the state, one in every county. Nine to go. I encouraged John to come and do the same thing. He won’t. He’s going to do a Biden garage thing.”

And what’s Brown’s message to Republican voters who just want to win the general election and would happily support either GOP candidate?

“I have more experience: ambassador experience, military experience, life experience — and I listen to people. I look them in the eye, listen, and answer their questions. People appreciate that.”

This story was originally published by the NH Journal, an online news publication dedicated to providing fair, unbiased reporting on, and analysis of, political news of interest to New Hampshire. For more stories from the NH Journal, visit NHJournal.com.