New Hampshire Republican Party Chairman Fergus Cullen said that U.S. Rep. Paul Hodes (D-Concord) is demonstrating a "certain arrogance" by thinking about running for the U.S. Senate in 2010.

"At a time when so many NH residents are hoping they'll get power back, Paul Hodes has another sort of power on his mind," Cullen wrote in an email to PolitickerNH.com. "It takes a certain arrogance to campaign for re-election, win, and immediately talk about running for another office before you're even sworn in to the office you just won."

The Union Leader reported Monday that Hodes is "seriously considering" running in 2010 against current U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg (R-Rye).

Hodes won a second term in November, but Cullen argued that if Hodes "didn't intend to serve, he shouldn't have run again."

Cullen added, "I suppose the Senate does hold an attraction for Hodes:  If he were to win, he'd be able to send tax-payer funded campaign mail to twice as many voters as he's been doing from his House seat."

During the summer, New Hampshire Republicans argued that Hodes was abusing his congressional franking privileges by sending campaign-like mailers to constituents in the 2nd Congressional District.