Tell us: Which GOP candidate should drop out of the 2024 race?
Share your thoughts ahead of the New Hampshire presidential primary and the Iowa caucus.
With less than a week to the Iowa caucus and two weeks left before the Republican presidential primary in New Hampshire on Jan. 23, many voters — and candidates — are wondering: Who stands to gain, or lose, if a certain candidate drops out?
According to a new poll of N.H. voters, former president Donald Trump is leading the pack among the other GOP challengers, with a 20 percentage point lead over former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley: 46% of likely voters say they intend to vote for Trump, compared to 27% for Haley. Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie is in third place with 12%, followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis at 8%, the Suffolk University/Boston Globe/USA TODAY poll found.
Despite being endorsed by New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, Haley might have trouble closing the gap between her and Trump in the primary. The Globe reported that the majority (about eight out of 10) of GOP primary voters indicated in the survey they’re unlikely to change their minds before the Jan. 23 primary.
To close the gap, Haley would need Christie to drop out, among other things, David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center, told the Globe.
“Governor Sununu’s endorsement gets her in the red zone, within 20 [points]. But Governor Sununu can’t get her to the goal line,” Paleologos said. “It’s not impossible, but it’s improbable right now that she beats [Trump] in New Hampshire.”
Why does this matter? Well, a not so insignificant number of voters would be up for grabs if certain candidates, like Christie, drop out, according to an ABC538 analysis of Republican voters’ second choices in the primary. Even Gov. Sununu suggested that Christie should clear the field for Haley.
“If Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis finished third in Iowa and decided to end his campaign, a not-insignificant 12 percent of Republican voters nationwide would be up for grabs,” reporter Nathanial Rakich wrote in the analysis. “If former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie bowed out before New Hampshire, 11 percent of Granite State Republicans would be looking for a new candidate.”
Ahead of the New Hampshire presidential primary and the Iowa caucus, we want to know which candidate, if any, you think should drop out.
Tell us by filling out the form or e-mailing us at [email protected], and your response may appear in a future Boston.com article.
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