Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) closed within single digits of former President Donald Trump in a recent New Hampshire Republican primary poll. The news could cause a considerable shift for the two candidates, as well as other GOP presidential contenders.
According to a recent American Research Group poll, the former governor came within four points of the former president. The poll had Trump with 33% support and Haley with 29%.
In third place was former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) with 13%. Behind him was Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who carried 6%. The only other candidate with significant support was businessman Vivek Ramaswamy.
Nikki Haley closes to within four percentage points of Trump in surprise New Hampshire poll https://t.co/5WtLPB5GjU
— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 22, 2023
The former South Carolina Gov. was boosted by the endorsement of New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) earlier this month. The endorsement appeared to cement Haley’s place as the chief rival to Trump in the state, with DeSantis not gaining significant traction there.
Sununu called her “someone I could not be more proud of. Someone who looks people in the eye, answers their questions and most importantly, has taken the time to earn the trust of the citizens and voters in this state. The next President of the United States – Nikki Haley.”
However, DeSantis received his own aid from the endorsement of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R), which could help him land a stronger finish in the Hawkeye State. However, Trump maintains a solid lead in that state’s caucus polls.
Trump has maintained a significant lead in nearly all Republican primary polls in recent months. Despite the most recent poll, Trump has maintained a considerable lead in the Granite State.
Furthermore, Trump leads by a wide margin in national polling, with both Haley and DeSantis far behind.
The New Hampshire primary is often seen as a major slingshot for candidates. Trump’s 2016 victory in the state helped cement him as the GOP primary frontrunner, eventually leading to his nomination.
New Hampshire is different than many other states in the GOP primary calendar in that it allows individuals who are not registered Republicans to vote. This could be a significant advantage for Haley, who led among this group in the poll.
