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Dixville Notch did everything it could for Nikki Haley. Six town residents who participated in the Republican primary for the first time when New Hampshire polls opened at midnight each voted for the former South Carolina governor.
That wasn't the only good news of the day for former President Donald Trump's only remaining Republican challenger. Although Haley lost in the New Hampshire primary, she outperformed expectations and regained momentum heading into the upcoming Nevada and South Carolina primaries. She has proven that she is eligible to compete in the race.
Nicki jokingly encouraged voters in New Hampshire to “fix” the results in Iowa, where she finished third with 19.1% of the vote. Trump won an overwhelming 51% of the vote in the state's caucuses, to DeSantis' 21.2%. Although New Hampshire did not produce results, he came in a close second to President Trump, allowing him to continue his campaign.
Donald Trump wins again as former president quickly defeats Nikki Haley in New Hampshire Republican primary
Trump won Iowa with more than 50% of the vote. These two wins make Trump the clear frontrunner in the race. His victory speech did not have the polite tone he had given in Iowa. He scoffed that Haley sounded like a winner, but she didn't. As one analyst said, it would have been better to attack President Joe Biden instead of someone who enjoys significant support among moderate Republicans.
From the beginning, Haley has maintained that she has always been underrated. She congratulated Mr. Trump in her speech after her polls closed in the Granite State, but she also reiterated her own assertion that she was the better candidate. .
“New Hampshire is the first in the nation, but it won't be the last,” she told supporters. She also used the results of the race to remind voters that “we keep moving forward” and vowed, “We're just getting started.”
Trump supporters have criticized Haley's appeal to independents and some Democrats, as well as funding from “establishment” Republicans and what they disparagingly refer to as “billionaire class” donors. scoffed at the offer. Haley turns all these criticisms on its head and argues that he is the better candidate for the election.
For the former South Carolina governor, the stakes in New Hampshire were huge. Since the Granite State hosts open primaries, allowing registered party members and so-called “undeclared” citizens to vote in both Republican and Democratic nomination contests, Haley was seeking an alternative to independents from her own party. It has the potential to appeal to both demographic and moderate voters. To Trump.
President Trump says he's 'honoured' to win New Hampshire, says Republicans are 'very united'
Most of the former New Jersey governor's supporters jumped on the Haley bandwagon, and her numbers rose after Chris Christie withdrew from the race ahead of the Iowa primary. But then Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis withdrew after the Iowa caucuses, derailing Haley's rise. Republicans in the Sunshine State were quick to support Mr. Trump, with most of his supporters drawn to the former president's column.
A Real Clear Politics poll for the first national primary showed Trump leading Haley by 22 to 27 points. Just before midnight Tuesday night, he led by more than 11 points.
After the Iowa caucuses, Mr. Trump's lead in the polls widened as Mr. DeSantis withdrew from the race, perhaps giving voters a better idea of the former president's chances of actually winning another four years in the Oval Office. Maybe it's because I recognized it. The latest virtual showdown between Trump and President Biden shows the Republican challenger leading nationally and in several key battleground states.
Trump's comeback seemed remote, but suddenly it seems more believable.
New Hampshire Republicans, like those in Iowa, cited immigration and the economy as their top concerns. These are meat and potatoes issues for Trump. As anger mounts against President Biden for allowing 8 million people to enter the country illegally, immigration is quickly emerging as the incumbent's biggest weakness and the former president's biggest potential winner.
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About 77% of those looking to vote in the Republican primary are registered Republicans, and 10% are Democrats who changed their registration last fall to be able to participate in the open primary, according to early voter analysis from Fox News. 13% were independents. . If those numbers hold true, that's unfortunate for Haley. In New Hampshire, independents make up 40% of all registered voters, and the state needed more independents to pose a threat to Trump.
This contest differed from the Iowa caucuses in several notable ways. In New Hampshire, only about 21% of voters were evangelical, compared to 46% in Iowa. About 49% said they were MAGA supporters, compared to 62% in Iowa. Both shifts should have improved Haley's chances, but they didn't.
Trump supporters are calling on Haley to withdraw from the race. The next Republican presidential campaign will be held in Nevada on February 8th. The South Carolina primary continues at the end of the month. Opinion polls in the state, where Haley was governor, show Trump with an average lead of 30 points. Popular Palmetto State Rep. Tim Scott joined Rep. Nancy Mace in endorsing the former president last week, further increasing his chances.
If Haley doesn't win her home state or comes in a close second, calls for her to leave and unite the party to contest another four years of Biden's presidency will fall on deaf ears. It will become a thing.
Democrats also held a primary in the Granite state on Tuesday, rejecting Biden's selfish shuffling of internal races to prioritize South Carolina, which he said paved his way to the nomination in 2020.
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Biden did not perform well in New Hampshire in 2020. He didn't want to risk repeating himself. In the end, he was forced to resort to a write-in campaign to avoid embarrassment from Rep. Dean Phillips, a young first-term congressman from Minnesota. Phillips campaigned aggressively in New Hampshire, telling voters the truth: Biden is too old to serve another four years in office.
Mr. Phillips was a total unknown just a few weeks ago. At the time of the primary election, his approval rating was around 10%. He ultimately received over 20% of the votes. Like Haley, he has plenty of money and will continue to do what he does.
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