New Hampshire primary 2024: Trump projected to win, Haley vows to fight on
Trump and Biden had strong showings in the first-in-the-nation primary.
Former President Donald Trump will win the 2024 New Hampshire GOP primary, ABC News projects. As of 10 p.m. Eastern, Trump was ahead by less than 10 percentage points. While that represents a slight overperformance of polling for former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, even a close loss is a big hit to her prospects, as she had staked her campaign on a strong performance in the Granite State. Haley spoke shortly after the projection to emphasize that "this race is far from over," while Trump (and his allies) amped up calls for her to drop out.
ABC News has also projected that President Joe Biden will win the Granite State's Democratic primary. A comfortable write-in victory for him despite not even being on the ballot is a good sign for the incumbent.
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Answer: It's a coin flip whether Haley stays in until South Carolina
Haley said tonight that she's staying in the race, with an eye on the Feb. 24 GOP primary in her home state of South Carolina. Besides the caucuses in the U.S. Virgin Islands on Feb. 8, there won't be another Trump-Haley matchup until South Carolina because Haley didn't file for Nevada's Feb. 8 caucuses, which Trump was expected to easily win even before everyone else dropped out besides Haley. I'd make it a 50-50 proposition whether she stays in until South Carolina, however.
With the Palmetto State up next, I can see why Haley would like to stick around: Maybe she can win over voters in her home state, or something else could happen in the race to cause Trump's position to deteriorate. For instance, he's made some garbled, confused statements in recent days, including appearing to confuse Haley for Nancy Pelosi when talking about the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Yet Haley also has to keep raising money to keep her campaign alive. That could be a challenge as GOP donors increasingly look ahead to the general election and her chances of defeating Trump look to be between slim and none. Moreover, if her position in South Carolina doesn't improve in the next couple weeks, she may not want to risk taking a big loss on her home turf.
—Geoffrey Skelley, 538
Answer: Haley will stay in
I think Haley will stay in through South Carolina for the reason Monica stated — to consolidate the non-Trump primary vote, however small. Haley seems to be bolder in her attacks on Trump as time goes on (like drawing attention to his mental fitness as she did tonight). That also tells me she isn't ready to drop out.
— Meredith Conroy, 538 contributor
Answer: Did Haley consolidate the non-Trump vote?
I'm not sure. In earlier live blogs and chats, we've wondered if one candidate could consolidate the non-Trump vote. It looks like Haley has done that in New Hampshire. Thirty-five percent of New Hampshire voters identified with the MAGA movement, according to exit polls, and Haley won 66 percent of those who were not part of the movement. If she wants to prove that there is a contingent of Republicans in the country that do not want a second Trump term, she could stay in and hope that something happens or she gains actual ... wait for it ... momentum. She said in her speech that it's not over, and that's technically true.
—Monica Potts, 538
Answer: Might Haley pull a DeSantis?
Hmm, I dunno, Jacob. I kinda think Haley might pull a DeSantis: She thinks she can muddle through now, but in a couple weeks, if she hasn’t made any dent in Trump’s lead in South Carolina, she may decide it’s fruitless and pull the plug. She may want to avoid the embarrassment of losing in her home state. In any event, I am quite sure that Haley will drop out if she loses South Carolina outright — meaning I bet Super Tuesday won’t even be relevant this year.
—Nathaniel Rakich, 538
Trump’s evangelical base is missing in New Hampshire
New Hampshire is one of the least religious states in the country. That might help explain why Trump’s closest competitor, Haley, has closed in on his lead a bit there: He’s at 54 percent to her 36 percent. While in 2016, evangelical Christians and regular churchgoers were reluctant to throw their support behind Trump, this key Republican voting bloc is now his solid base. And they’re missing in this first-in-the-nation primary.
In Iowa last week, Trump improved on his 2016 caucuses performance by 35 points in the most evangelical areas of the state, according to a Washington Post analysis. That’s just the latest evidence that evangelical voters are his to lose. In the 2020 general election, he won 59 percent of voters who attend church at least monthly, according to a Pew Research Center analysis. More than that, Trump moved many of his voters to identify as evangelical Christian, regardless of their church attendance habits.
Evangelicals remain one of the most motivated, active parts of the Republican Party nationwide, and, without that, Trump’s campaign might be missing a little steam. In addition to being less religious, New Hampshire residents have other identity markers that pull them further from Trump’s base. It’s one of the most educated states in the country, and has had an active Libertarian Party. In this respect, New Hampshire Republicans are a bit different from their fellow party members in other states. All of these factors might be giving Haley a small opening, but Trump is still favored to win.
Looking beyond that toward November, New Hampshire has voted for the Democratic candidate in every election save one since 1992. So while the eventual Republican nominee will have a shot, the less religious nature of New Hampshire might be a sign that the state is simply becoming more solidly Democratic like its New England neighbors, at least when it comes to presidential elections.
—Monica Potts, 538