Here’s who readers think will win the N.H. primary
New Hampshire voters will head to the polls on Tuesday for the state’s presidential primaries.
New Hampshire voters will head to the polls on Tuesday for the first-in-the-nation presidential primary, and it’s officially a two-person race.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis dropped out of the race on Sunday and endorsed former president Donald Trump. With DeSantis out, the primary becomes a one-on-one competition between Trump and Nikki Haley, the former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina governor.
The former president, bolstered by his victory in last week’s Iowa caucuses, is a favorite to win the nomination. But Haley could garner substantial support from unaffiliated voters who are allowed to vote in New Hampshire’s GOP primary.
Unaffiliated voter Donna D. from Epsom, New Hampshire, said she doesn’t believe Trump’s victory in Iowa will hold weight in New Hampshire — and she’s set to prove this by participating in the primary.
“[The] Iowa caucus gets it wrong, time and time again,” she said. “The caucus is a fraction of a fraction of the population. N.H. voters overall are more independent. I will vote for Joe Biden in the main election. However, I am an undeclared registered voter in N.H., so I can vote in the Republican primary and intend to vote for Haley so as to blunt the results in an effort to have N.H. not be in the ‘Trump Won’ side of the ledger.”
Haley is hoping for a repeat of then Senator John McCain’s 2000 victory in the state, in which he pulled off an 18-point win over the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, Governor George W. Bush.
But according to polls, Haley still trails behind the former president, and it’s unlikely that she will be able to close the gap.
Our readers, much like the polls, have predicted that Haley won’t stand a chance against the former president as the Republican nominee. When we asked our readers who they plan to vote for in the primary, Trump came out on top with 56% of the votes, followed by Haley with 33%. And when we asked who readers think will win the primary, the results were essentially the same: Trump is first, followed by Haley in second.
Below, readers explain the reasons behind their primary predictions.
Some entries have been edited for length or clarity.
Who are you voting for, and what are your winner predictions?
Donald Trump
“Trump is the only one with a proven record of effectiveness when it comes to the economy, foreign policy, and border control. All three are critical to national defense. If he could work to legislate reductions in spending and lead the way vs. his first term he would set up the Republican party for the next 12 years.” – Dave D., Gilford, New Hampshire
“Trump knows how to fix what is broken because he did it before.” – Joseph G., Goffstown, New Hampshire
“Proven track record and a businessman that can also play politics if need be. We need someone who can run this country like a business steering clear of bankruptcy.” – S.Y., Kingston, New Hampshire
“Trump has better numbers than anyone else on either side.” – Dianne, Gainesville, Florida
“Trump leads Haley 50-34 in new Suffolk/Globe/NBC poll.” – Bill T., New London, New Hampshire
“Trump is the only choice to get us out of the mess that Biden caused.” – Mike, Derry, New Hampshire
“[Donald Trump] has demonstrated incredible tenacity, resilience, and perseverance. In my opinion, he has demonstrated a special kind of ‘psychological’ toughness which I believe makes him a qualified person who is capable, and who has already proven himself to be capable to be President of the United States.” – David B., Linden, New Jersey
“We need to get back to what we had before Joe screwed everything up.” – Chuck W., Salem, New Hampshire
Nikki Haley
“Support Nikki as I think she is the best choice against Biden, but primary polling suggests Trump will prevail.” – Sierra, Rochester, New Hampshire
“It is time for a new generation and new thoughts. Tired of the same rhetoric.” – Andy, Nashua, New Hampshire
“Anyone that isn’t Trump.” – Anonymous reader, Windham, New Hampshire
“Haley is more moderate and therefore likely to work with Democrats to govern the country successfully. I think Trump is a self-centered person with low morals who should never again be the president of our great country. We deserve better than him.” – Jeff. W., Framingham
“It is the best choice going forward. We will only go backwards with Trump.” – Steve E., Yarmouth
“Trump will ruin this democracy. Haley is sharp, educated, and ready to lead. She is strong on the economy and foreign relations. Our nation is in trouble with a Trump presidency.” – Jennifer K., Irmo, South Carolina
“Donald Trump is absolutely unfit to ever hold elected office again. DeSantis is a non-factor.” – Jason, Dover
Boston.com occasionally interacts with readers by conducting informal polls and surveys. These results should be read as an unscientific gauge of readers’ opinion.
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