AP Photo/Meg Kinnard
Ex-U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is trailing her old boss, former President Donald Trump, by just four points in New Hampshire, according to a shocking new poll.
The survey, conducted by the American Research Group, indicates that Trump leads the pack with 33% of voters. But Haley is nipping at his heels at his heels at 29%. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (13%), Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (6%), and Vivek Ramaswamy (5%) come in behind the two frontrunners.
Three hundred sixty-one Republicans and 239 undeclared voters participated in the poll, as independent voters are permitted to participate in the Granite State’s primary. Trump’s lead over Haley is larger among Republican voters (39%-27%) although Haley still finishes in a comfortable second place. Among independent voters, Haley actually leads the pack at 33%, with Trump (24%) and Christie (23%) following.
Haley has been on an upward trajectory in New Hampshire and the Republican primary race more generally for months, steadily climbing in the polls as DeSantis’s numbers have declined.
A number of commentators have called on Christie to drop out and endorse Haley to better her chances of pulling off an upset against Trump, but he has shown no signs of stepping aside despite his dismal polling in every state except for New Hampshire.
A poll from CBS News earlier this week similarly suggested that Haley was continuing to see her stock rise in New Hampshire, also pegging support for her at 29%. Trump, however, remained 15 points ahead of her in that survey at 44%.
Haley supporters have argued that her momentum and proven ability to pull voters into her camp makes her the strongest viable challenger to Trump, while DeSantis supporters have submitted that she is not strong enough with the base of the party to prevail.