MANCHESTER, N.H. – As the Republican presidential nomination race narrows down to just two candidates, New Hampshire voters have shown a clear preference for Donald Trump over Nikki Haley, according to a recent poll conducted by The Washington Post and Monmouth University. With the primary just days away, the poll reveals that 52% of potential primary voters support Trump, while 34% back Haley. Meanwhile, Ron DeSantis, who was at 8% in the polls, has since suspended his campaign.
Haley has seen an increase in support, nearly doubling from 18% in November, possibly benefiting from the withdrawal of Chris Christie. However, Trump’s lead has also grown by six percentage points over the same period. As the withdrawal of other candidates continues, Trump’s support could potentially increase even further.
This advantage for Trump is largely due to his strong support among the party’s conservative base, while Haley has been making gains among moderates and independent voters within the GOP. However, with New Hampshire allowing independent voters to participate in the Republican primary, Haley is hoping for a strong turnout to challenge Trump. Yet, there is little evidence of her gaining significant ground since the Iowa caucuses.
In addition to strong support, the poll also highlights a decline in Haley’s favorability ratings among New Hampshire potential GOP primary voters. Meanwhile, Trump’s favorability remains essentially unchanged since November.
An interesting finding from the poll is that the belief in the false idea of voter fraud in the 2020 election appears to strongly influence candidate support, with Trump’s strongest supporters largely holding this belief. Finally, the poll also reflected varying levels of support for Haley among different demographic groups, with Trump maintaining a lead among both men and women.