New Hampshire's undeclared and independents prepare for the nation's first presidential primary next week, following reports that Democrats took a bipartisan vote to support former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley during Monday's Iowa caucuses. Voters will be paying attention.
Former President Donald Trump achieved a historic victory in the Hawkeye State, winning more than 50% of the vote, with a wide margin over Haley, who came in third place, but this was due to the efforts of Democrats and independents who opposed the former president. It wasn't that it wasn't enough. They reportedly appeared at some party caucus venues and caused a shortage of party registration forms.
Only registered Republicans can vote in Iowa's caucuses, but the state allows same-day party registration, meaning Democrats and independents can attend, register and vote in one night.
Republican presidential primary front-runners move to New Hampshire, Trump and Haley turn up the volume on each other
Former United Nations Ambassador and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley during a campaign event in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, Tuesday, January 16, 2024. (Adam Glanzman/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
According to CBS News, the Johnson County caucus site, where Trump lost by just one vote to Haley, is the only caucus site in Johnson County to make sure they have enough documentation to accommodate people who want to switch their membership to the Republican Party. , caucus officials said they had to scramble for more paper to print. .
Other reports pointed to Democratic interference, including one voter who told Axios that switching party registration for one day was an “opportunity to lessen the inevitability of a Trump presidency.” “I think every American should vote against Donald Trump every chance they get,” said another.
By contrast, Iowa Republican Party Treasurer David Barker told Fox News Digital that while there were some new registrants from Democrats and independents, the majority of those who registered on caucus night were first-timers. He said he was a voter. Ready to oust President Biden.
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Despite these efforts against Trump, it wasn't enough to defeat Haley's second-place primary challenger, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, by about 2,300 votes.
Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is on the campaign trail in Hampton, New York, Wednesday, January 17, 2024. (Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)
Ahead of next week's New Hampshire primary, about 3,500 Democrats in the state have switched their party registration to become undeclared voters, or independents, ahead of the October deadline. Part of that effort, led by former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who recently withdrew from the race, urged voters to take every opportunity to oppose Trump.
Undeclared voters in New Hampshire make up a majority of precincts in the Granite State, and they can choose whether to vote in the Democratic or Republican primary and have a significant role in determining the non-incumbent party's presidential nominee. It has played an important role for many years. The state does not allow intraparty voting.
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Some argue that New Hampshire's undeclared voters who come to the polls on Tuesday are more likely to vote in the Republican primary, given that President Biden faces no serious challenge to win the Democratic nomination. There is. As one New Hampshire voter said, the Republican campaign is “where all the action is.”
Whether anti-Trump independents will turn out to vote for Haley “depends on their perception of Trump's inevitability,” said Dante Scala, a political science professor and researcher at the University of New Hampshire, and others.
Former Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump points at a supporter at the end of a campaign rally at Atkinson Country Club in Atkinson, New Hampshire, January 16, 2024. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
“I think some voters would like to stick with Trump if they could, but they really liked Chris Christie because he was purely anti-Trump. Haley is not that. The problem is always , whether they show up or not. And I think they do.'' There needs to be a clear reason to do that…If they look at the New Hampshire polls and listen to the news coverage and say, “Trump.'' If there is an atmosphere of “I've done it'', interest will likely wane. When you show up,” Scala said.
“If you're a Democrat, you're not crazy to vote in a Republican primary in the first place. That's a total reversal. Haley is a pretty mainstream Republican, so I'm really uncomfortable with that.” So you'll need a good reason to do so. ”
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Olivia Perez-Cubas, a spokeswoman for Haley's campaign, told Fox News Digital that the ambassador “has always believed that the Republican Party should be about addition, not subtraction.”
“Otherwise, Republicans will continue to lose just like they did in 2018, 2020, and 2022. If Republicans want to start winning again, instead of pushing away voters who are tired of Joe Biden, , we have to start incorporating it,” she said.
A campaign sign for former United Nations ambassador and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley before a campaign event in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, on January 16, 2024. (Adam Glanzman/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
A senior Trump campaign official told Fox News Digital that the “only people” voting for Haley are Democrats who are trying to interfere in the Republican primary because she is “promoting higher taxes, opening borders, and China.” They are desperate globalists who want to control the United States.”
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Fox News Digital also reached out to the DeSantis campaign for comment.
Trump remains the clear front-runner in New Hampshire, with 50% support to Haley's 34%, according to a new poll released Wednesday by Suffolk University, the Boston Globe and Boston's NBC10. DeSantis has an approval rating of 5% and is expected to head to Haley's home state of South Carolina this weekend to begin campaigning.
Get the latest on the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more with Fox News Digital's Election Hub.
