Trump takes New Hampshire as Haley vows to fight on

CONCORD, N.H. — Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley lost the New Hampshire primary election on Tuesday after investing immense time and money into the Granite State.

Haley visited several local restaurants and venues to connect with voters, and invested millions of dollars into advertisements during her time in the state, totaling over $77 million. Despite losing by over ten percent of the vote, Haley intends on staying in the race as the primaries move to her home state of South Carolina. 

“The next [step] is my sweet state of South Carolina,” Haley said. “When we get to South Carolina, Donald Trump’s going to have a harder time falsely attacking me.”

While Haley initially appeared to be cutting into former President Donald Trump’s lead early in the week post-Iowa, Trump steadily increased his support after accusing Haley of being ineligible for the presidency.

Trump’s attacks increased after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis suspended his campaign on Monday, leaving Haley the last competitor for the Republican nomination. After the race was called, he mocked Haley for refusing to suspend her campaign. 

“I have to tell you, it was very interesting because I said ‘Wow what a great victory.’ But then somebody ran up to the stage all dressed up nicely when it was at 7%. Now I just walked up and it was at 14%,” Trump said. 

Courtesy of Getty Images

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally on Friday in in Concord, New Hampshire.

Trump addressed his supporters at a rally in Nashua, joined by former Republican candidates Tim Scott and Vivek Ramaswamy, who voiced their continued support and endorsement of the former President. 

“The fact that Nikki is pressing ahead exposes the ugly underbelly of this race,” Ramaswamy wrote on X. “There’s no way she can defeat Trump through the front door, so her donor puppet masters are propping her up long enough while plotting to eliminate Trump from the ballot. It’s ugly. But it’s the TRUTH.”

For Haley supporters, however, Trump’s victory in New Hampshire is not representative of the primary race as a whole. 

Mary Donovan, 68, is a staunch Haley supporter and undeclared voter. She said she wasn’t concerned about Trump’s win in the Granite State. While she was disappointed with the loss, she said she believes Haley’s “fighter” mentality and resolve can push her through South Carolina and beyond, potentially gaining ground in more diverse states. 

“It was close enough that she didn’t get blown out,” Donovan said. “It wasn’t like in Iowa where [Trump] blew everyone out of the water.” 

Donovan said that while Haley will be leaving New Hampshire on Wednesday to begin her campaign in South Carolina, she is excited to see her candidate improve as the race continues. For Donovan, potentially watching Haley win more delegates in states other than her own is consolation.

“It’s only the first primary in the nation,” Donovan said. “She’s younger, she has a of lot experience and she’s smart. There’s no drama [with her] and Trump has got to be stopped.”