Sununu profits as Americans pay more for gas, food and medicine

Republican John Sununu financially benefited from higher costs on gas, food, and medicine, according to his campaign finance reports.

Sununu is running for the U.S. Senate in New Hampshire this year after initially serving in the body from 2003 to 2009. Affordability is expected to be a major issue in the race.

Sununu and his spouse have millions of dollars invested in the stock market and a reported net worth of up to $36.3 million. As prices have soared as a result of tariffs and the Iran war, so has the value of companies in which Sununu is invested.

This dynamic is best illustrated through his extensive oil and gas holdings. The Iran war has disrupted the international oil trade and driven up gas prices worldwide. American-based gas companies have not experienced the same disruptions but are able to charge the higher prices, allowing them to maximize their profits.

Sununu has up to $50,000 invested in ExxonMobil and up to $65,000 in Shell. As prices went up for New Hampshire drivers, Sununu’s investments in gas ballooned by about 24%.

Sununu has been supportive of the Iran war despite its deep unpopularity. In March, he told the New Hampshire Today radio show that the mission in Iran is “important and critical” even if it is driving up costs. In another appearance in June, he said that continuing the war would be “good for the global economy, good for the American economy, good for American consumers, and most importantly, good for our national security.”

Sununu is also heavily invested in food retailers that have benefited from higher grocery costs. This includes up to $150,000 in Wal-Mart stock, up to $100,000 in PepsiCo, and up to $100,000 more in Coca-Cola. A variety of factors have driven up food prices, including increased shipping costs from higher gas prices and the lingering effects of President Donald Trump’s tariff policy.

Last year, Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on several countries. A tariff is essentially a tax on a foreign good that is paid by the American importer. The increased cost is often passed on to the consumer in the form of higher prices. The Supreme Court struck down those tariffs, but many prices have still not fallen. Trump has implemented several new tariffs since.

Bureau of Labor Statistics found that food prices rose by 2.4% in 2025. Coffee prices rose by a staggering 21%, a direct result of tariffs on Brazil.

In this same period, Sununu’s PepsiCo holdings grew by 4%, Wal-Mart by 34%, and Coca-Cola by 21%, a combined value increase of at least $50,000.

As with the Iran war, Sununu has downplayed the effect of Trump’s tariffs. He said in September 2025 that the tariffs’ “economic impact has been very modest.” In March 2026, he appeared to dismiss the Supreme Court’s ruling against the tariffs, saying, “there are other sections of that law, several other sections that do give the president ability to impose tariffs.”

Sununu is also invested in the pharmaceutical industry. He reported holding up to $425,000 in pharmaceutical company stocks and bonds, including sizable stakes in Pfizer and Merck.

In September 2025, the White House announced that drug prices would be coming down after it reached an agreement with 16 pharmaceutical companies. A few months later, all of those companies raised prices. Pfizer, for example, increased the price of its COVID shot by 15%. Merck also raised prices on 18 products. Sununu stands to benefit from the hikes.

In the Senate, Sununu voted four times to block Medicare from negotiating lower drug prices and five times to block the importation of cheaper prescription drugs from Canada. After leaving office, Sununu was a lobbyist for Akin Gump, a firm that represented both Pfizer and Merck.

Sununu will face former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown in a Sept. 8 primary. The winner will likely face Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas in November.