Trump is considered the favorite for the Republican caucuses in New Hampshire this Tuesday (23).
The Associated Press news agency predicted that Donald Trump won the Republican Party primaries in the US state of New Hampshire this Tuesday (22).
The former American president defeated the only other competitor, former US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.
In a speech to her supporters, Haley congratulated Trump and said she would continue in the race. “There are rumors that this race is over. I have news: New Hampshire is the first (state) in the nation, not the last.” This race is far from over, there are still dozens of states. The next one is mine, from South Carolina.”.
The votes are still being counted. Polling stations closed at 8:00 p.m. local time (10:00 p.m. in Brasília).
Primary elections are the system by which voters of a US party select their candidate for the November presidential election.
Haley had previously stated that she would not drop out of the race if she lost the New Hampshire vote to Trump.
New Hampshire voters are considered independent and moderate, which is why U.S. political analysts said this phase of the primary was one of Haley's best chances.
According to the AP, Trump won based on voting in small towns in New Hampshire, where the majority of voters who took part in the primaries live. The majority of Republican voters in the state do not have a college degree. Of those, about twothirds voted for Trump. He won about seven in 10 Republican voters who identify as conservative.
Trump has been supported by Republican voters who say the most important issues for them are immigration or the economy.
1 of 1 Montage shows Donald Trump and Nikki Haley Photo: Portal Montage shows Donald Trump and Nikki Haley Photo: Portal
Pressure Haley to stop
Even before the vote, the former president's allies were urging Haley to quit. Trump himself said that Haley should do whatever she wants, but that voters would choose him.
This is the first time that a Republican Party candidate has won the first two stages of the race for the Republican Party nomination, Iowa and New Hampshire. These two states are the first to vote since 1976.
In Iowa, Trump took first place, Ron DeSantis, who has already dropped out of the race, took second place and Haley took third place.
Haley's aides say she's staying
Earlier in the day, Betsy Ankney, Haley's campaign manager, sent a statement to donors, supporters and journalists saying it was too early to drop out of the primary.
“The political class and the media want to crown Donald Trump. They say the race is over. They want to raise their hands after only 110,000 people voted in an Iowa caucus and say (the winner) is Trump. “That’s not how it works,” she said.