Nikki Haley chips away at Trump’s monster lead in New Hampshire: poll
Nikki Haley has slowly chipped away at former President Donald Trump’s enormous lead in New Hampshire as voters prepare to head to the polls in just over a month, according to a new survey.
Haley, the former UN ambassador under Trump, received 29% of support among likely Republican voters in a new CBS News/YouGov poll.
Trump, however, still retains a whopping 15-point lead, notching 44% support.
The poll indicates Haley is consolidating much of the non-Trump vote in the Granite State.
Haley, the former South Carolina governor, received far more support than Trump’s remaining GOP rivals with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis getting 11%, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at 10%, and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy at 5%.
When voters were asked about which candidate has the best odds of dispatching President Biden in 2024, 51% said Trump would “definitely” be able to do so, while 32% felt the same way about Haley, the poll showed.
New Hampshire voters also gave Haley high approval ratings, with 55% of voters deeming her the most likable of the 2024 aspirants, compared to DeSantis at 37%.
Trump and Ramaswamy tied for third with 36% calling them the most likable, per the poll.
Moreover, 51% described Haley as reasonable compared to 37% who said the same for DeSantis and 36% who felt that way about Trump.
Last week, Haley’s campaign was given a jolt with an endorsement from Granite State Gov. Chris Sununu.
The governor vowed to “go all in” on helping Haley win New Hampshire, where the primary is slated for Jan. 23, 2023.
The CBS/YouGov poll wasn’t the only outlet that placed Haley in second place.
Haley was also the Granite State runner-up in the latest RealClearPolitics aggregate of polling, averaging 21.3% support.
In Iowa, DeSantis holds the No. 2 spot. Trump scores a firm majority in the Hawkeye State with 58% support, followed by DeSantis at 22%, and Haley at 13%, per the CBS/YouGov poll.
Haley’s team has highlighted other polls putting her in second place in Iowa, however, most have DeSanits up.
Trump is averaging 52% in Iowa, followed by DeSantis at 20%, and Haley at 15.8%, per RCP. Iowa is the first formal contest in the 2024 GOP scrum, slated for Jan. 15, 2024.
Nationally, Trump’s lead is even more stark, with 61.9% support, followed by DeSantis at 12.5%, and Haley at 11.8%, in the RCP aggregate of national polling.
Haley’s rivals have stepped up attacks on her amid her surge in the polls.
DeSantis’ team mounted a pressure campaign against her to participate in the January CNN debate days before the Iowa caucuses. She agreed to the debate last week.
The Florida governor has also prodded her over whether or she would accept a position as Trump’s vice presidential candidate, should he win the party nod to be standard bearer.
“I’m the only one that can beat [Trump] — there’s a reason they spend money against me. He has not spent any money against her,” DeSantis said at a recent campaign stop.
Christie, who has effectively bet his entire campaign on New Hampshire, has also ratcheted up against Haley.
“Nikki Haley should be ashamed of herself and she’s part of the problem because she’s enabling him. She’s enabling him by saying to people, it’s okay. Let me be really clear,” Christie told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, blasting her for not being more critical of Trump.
The New Hampshire survey was taken between Dec. 8 to 15 among 855 voters in New Hampshire with a margin of error of plus or minus 5.5 percentage points.
The Iowa poll was conducted from the same time frame among 1,054 voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 6.1 percentage points.
