The resignation of Judd Gregg's long time aide Joel Maiola as chief of staff will increase chatter that Gregg could soon resign himself.
Speculation over whether or not Gregg would leave his Senate seat for a federal judgeship is far from new. The conversation was the probably the loudest after both he and his friend President George W. Bush were re-elected in 2004. The Gregg rumors slowed down once Gov. John Lynch, a Democrat, took office in 2005 allowing him to appoint a fellow Democrat like Jeanne Shaheen to replace him.