- Nikki Haley continues to make strong progress in New Hampshire, now at 29 points to Donald Trump's 33, a new poll shows
- The vote on January 23 – a week after the Iowa caucus – is considered the most open of the first elections
- Buoyed by the endorsement of popular four-term Gov. Chris Sununu, Haley announced 50 new endorsements in the state on Monday
Nikki Haley trails Donald Trump by just four points in the latest New Hampshire voter poll, setting the stage for a dramatic showdown on January 23rd.
Haley, the former South Carolina governor and Trump's U.N. ambassador, was chosen by 29 percent of likely Republican voters in the American Research Group poll.
Trump secured 33 percent support.
“Granite Staters are ready for a new generation of conservative leadership,” said Olivia Perez-Cubas, Haley’s spokeswoman.
“As Nikki continues to advance, it is becoming clear that it is a two-person race between Nikki and Donald Trump and we look forward to debating him one-on-one.”
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie came in third with 13 percent approval, beating Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was chosen by just 6 percent of respondents.
Nikki Haley trails Donald Trump by just four points in the latest New Hampshire voter poll, setting the stage for a dramatic showdown on January 23rd
Nikki Haley is seen with Donald Trump in the Oval Office in October 2018 when she resigned as his UN ambassador. She was praised for managing to keep Trump and his supporters on side but not letting the proximity harm her
DeSantis is still Trump's second-place candidate nationally, but his candidacy has disappointed many who expected him to easily defeat Trump.
Vivek Ramaswamy, the entrepreneur and political newcomer who shone brightly but failed under intense scrutiny, came fifth with just 5 percent approval.
The pollsters spoke to 361 Republicans and 239 black voters between December 14th and 20th.
The poll is consistent with the steady rise Haley has made since the start of the fall, helped by strong performances in the primary debates and several key endorsements.
Her campaign was pleased to win the support of four-time New Hampshire governor, the ever-popular Chris Sununu.
On Monday, Haley's team revealed another 50 names of local politicians and business people who support her.
Trump is seen at a rally in Waterloo, Iowa on December 19th
Haley is pictured Thursday at a rally in Anamosa, Iowa, ahead of the first vote of the election on Jan. 15
Chris Christie, Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy pictured on Dec. 6 during the Alabama debate
Christie is urged to drop out and allow his followers to support Haley, but he shows no signs of wanting to do so.
Sununu said Christie should “clear the way” for Haley and said she is the best-placed candidate to defeat Trump.
“I stand with Nikki Haley,” Sununu said when asked if the former New Jersey governor should drop out.
“I think they should all get out openly, including former President Trump. 'I think everyone should clear the way.'
But Christie insisted his candidacy was still strong.
“I’m not going anywhere, so let’s be clear about that,” he said.
He added that it wasn't Sununu's job to “tell anyone when to get out.”