Trump Wins Again in New Hampshire Republican Primary, Haley’s Chances Diminishing
Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, January 24th
The second Republican primary for the 2024 U.S. presidential election ended in New Hampshire on the 23rd. Former U.S. President Trump won again, defeating the only challenger in the party and former U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Nikki Haley. The victory raises the question of whether Haley still has a chance against Trump in the upcoming primaries.
As of 0:00 local time on the 24th in New Hampshire, Trump’s vote rate in the state’s Republican primary was 54.2%, while Haley’s was 43.8%. Trump led Haley by more than 10 percentage points, basically in line with previous poll predictions.
Haley congratulated Trump on his victory but emphasized that “the game is far from over” and the gap between the two is narrowing. She will continue to participate in the Republican primary and will not let Trump easily become the Republican presidential candidate again. However, Trump has been gaining significant support within the Republican party nationwide, with an approval rating among Republican voters reaching 67.7%.
Haley has invested a lot of time and resources in New Hampshire, seeking to “counterattack” Trump in the state to reshape the Republican election campaign. However, her average approval rating within the party in her home state of South Carolina is significantly behind Trump’s, leading experts to believe that her chances of defeating Trump in the South Carolina primary are slim.
After Trump’s victories in Iowa and New Hampshire, the pressure on Haley to withdraw from the election is increasing. Some media outlets have already shifted their attention to who will become Trump’s running mate, with potential candidates including Alice Stefanik, Chair of the US House of Representatives Republican Conference, Senator Tim Scott, and Representative Nancy Mace.
In the wake of Biden’s supporters writing his name on the ballot in New Hampshire’s Democratic primary, Trump’s victories in the Republican primaries are heightening the anticipation for this year’s U.S. presidential election. The first official Democratic primary will be held in South Carolina on February 3.