Despite the early stage, the New Hampshire primary has become a decisive point for the Republican candidates for the White House, since all prospective nominees who have won the first two dates on the electoral calendar always ended up being nominated.
Donald Trump, for whom all polls predict a comfortable victory, suggested that his contest with Nikki Haley will end after the results of The Granite State become known and once again called for unity in the Republican Party to focus on defeating Joe Biden in November. The former governor of South Carolina, for her part, once again spoke about Trump's age and alleged "mental weakness" after confusing her with Nancy Pelosi. She seeks to establish herself as the savior of the GOP against the Democrats and the "chaos" that follows the former president.
Trump: 'There are two people left and one will probably leave tomorrow'
At an electoral event in Laconia, N.H., Trump, accompanied by former candidates Vivek Ramaswamy, Doug Burgum and Tim Scott, was convinced that Haley will abandon the presidential race after the second stop of the primaries, despite the fact that New Hampshire only decides 22 delegates: "We started off with 13 (opponents) and now we are down to two people, and I think one person will be gone probably tomorrow. And the other one will be gone in November But now is the time for the Republican Party to come together." In case there was any doubt, the former president insisted: "Tomorrow we are going to win New Hampshire and then we are going to defeat crooked Joe Biden and we are going to make America great again."
In addition, Trump received the official endorsement of the organization Catholic Vote, which encouraged its followers in The Granite State to cast their vote in favor of the former president because "our Catholic way of life is on the ballot" for "more than just another 4 years."
Haley: 'Chaos follows' Trump
Far from throwing in the towel, Haley again insisted that the age and mental state of her rival make him unfit to lead the country, talking in statements to CBS about Trump's and Biden's cognitive decline over the past two years: "I think [Trump] is mentally fit, but I think he is declining. Do we really want two 80-year-old candidates running for president? Because the concern I have is, look at Joe Biden two years ago, look at how much he has declined in these two years."
In addition, Haley pointed to the controversies surrounding the former president: "But, more than that, what I will say is, focus on the fact that, no matter what it is, chaos follows him. ... We can't be a country in disarray and have a world on fire and go through four more years of chaos. We won't survive it."
Haley sweeps the first town to vote: 6-0
Haley's message seems to have reached the six registered voters of Dixville Notch, N.H., who voted for Haley in her traditional visit to the polls just after 12 a.m. on voting day. Unfortunately for the former ambassador to the United Nations, the inhabitants of this small town have not accurately predicted the state winner since John McCain managed to win New Hampshire in 2008.
A great start to a great day in New Hampshire. Thank you Dixville Notch! https://t.co/YcAv97OTdG
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) January 23, 2024
Trump is the clear favorite according to polls
In fact, the polls promise a much less favorable result for Haley. The polls published on the eve of the vote projected Trump receiving between 50 and 62% of the vote, while the former governor floats between 34-38%. Haley needs a spectacular result before reaching her home in South Carolina. Her hope is to bring out all the "undeclared" voters, those who do not proclaim themselves members of any specific party, who represent 39% of registered voters. These voters can participate in the open primaries of the Republican Party in New Hampshire.
The #NewHampshire presidential primary will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 23.
Stay Tuned: https://t.co/3KhNusN4mn#vote #newhampshireprimary #Elections #trump #NikkiHaley @CarlCannon pic.twitter.com/ZKYh1BwmOO— RealClearPolitics (@RCPolitics) January 19, 2024
322,000 participants are expected in the New Hampshire Republican primary, with 267,768 registered Republican voters
New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan noted that, at this time, there are a total of 873,357 registered voters, of which 267,768 are Republicans, 261,254 are Democrats and the last, and largest, 344,335 are undeclared voters. In addition, Scanlan's office pointed out that 322,000 people are expected to participate in the Republican primaries and 88,000 in the Democratic primaries, in which Joe Biden will not participate, since the date does not coincide with the calendar approved by the Democratic National Committee.
Today is the First-in-the-Nation Presidential Primary!!
Make sure you head to the polls and vote! And don’t forget to grab an “I Voted” sticker designed by some very talented fourth graders! pic.twitter.com/I8mEKTld2i
— NH Secretary of State (@NHSecretary) January 23, 2024
