Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley is emerging as a strong Republican alternative to Donald Trump, with new polling from New Hampshire showing Ms Haley getting a boost of support from potential voters.
In a CBS News/YouGov poll of potential Republican primary voters in New Hampshire, 29 per cent said they’d vote for Ms Haley compared to 44 per cent who said they would for Mr Trump.
The numbers reflect potential voters’ changing opinion of Ms Haley, who in November had 18 per cent in an Emerson College/WHDH poll of New Hampshire voters compared to Mr Trump, who had 49 per cent.
The new results from CBS News and YouGov come nearly a week after New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu endorsed Ms Haley for 2024 president.
It indicates that while the former president remains the frontrunner of the party, Ms Haley is catching up to him heading into primary season.
Potential Republican primary voters said they view Ms Haley as more likable, a better role model and more reasonable than Mr Trump who is facing a myriad of criminal trials in the coming year.
Despite this, most voters are still supporting the former president in the Granite State – though Mr Sununu says that may not last long.
“There’s so many folks undecided,” the New Hampshire governor told ABC’s This Week on Sunday. “A lot of decisions won’t be made really until the last couple of weeks,” Mr Sununu said.
In addition to Mr Sununu, Ms Haley received a powerful endorsement from the Koch Network.
Ms Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis are currently going head-to-head in early primary states to fight for the second-place position behind Mr Trump.
Mr DeSantis, who initially had a large lead over other GOP candidates earlier this year, has fallen behind while on the campaign trailing. Several national polls have placed Mr DeSantis neck-and-neck with Ms Haley for the secondary spot.
