Trump Targets the Open Primary System in New Hampshire

Paresh Jadhav

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Former President Donald Trump is tightening his grip on Republican rivals after winning Iowa caucuses, as they shift focus onto New Hampshire primaries. At a campaign stop in Portsmouth, Trump harshly criticized former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for placing so far behind in that state.

Nikki Haley’s Campaign

Voters across New Hampshire see primary elections as an opportunity to help shape the direction of their political parties, with New Hampshire offering an open primary system where voters may choose among candidates from either party.

Nikki Haley, former U.N. Ambassador and Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley are making moves to strengthen their credentials as credible alternatives to Donald Trump in the Republican nomination race, including hitting the road this week to garner support for their campaigns ahead of their Granite State primaries on January 23.

At a VFW hall in Rochester, Haley told an enthusiastic crowd that she has made inroads against Donald Trump in head-to-head polls and that she is more electable than Trump. Haley also touted New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu?s endorsement. Such messages may resonate with undeclared voters such as Rick and Donna Wright from Whitefield who lean toward supporting Haley in the Republican primary; these may also resonate with Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents whose votes often play a part in state primaries.

Ron DeSantis’s Campaign

BRETTON WOODS, New Hampshire (Reuters) – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ campaign is shifting its attention toward South Carolina where rival Nikki Haley holds considerable sway and hopes to outperform expectations by shifting resources there in less than one week for its Republican primary. DeSantis? team has relocated staffers in order to focus their attentions.

DeSantis now faces steep hurdles as he attempts to catch up to Donald Trump in Iowa caucuses on Monday night and trails far behind in polls; his spending more money than any other Republican may not pay off either.

On Tuesday at a town hall event in Hampton Woods, DeSantis softened up. His speech was less formal and more open to questions from the crowd; he addressed concerns regarding his support for an unpopular travel ban without offering an apology – however his campaign has yet to air television ads in New Hampshire.

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Chris Sununu’s Campaign

At home in South Carolina, former United Nations ambassador Elizabeth Dole holds an advantage, but experts caution she could encounter difficulty in New Hampshire despite receiving support from Gov. Chris Sununu – a longstanding Republican governor who won four terms there in quick fashion.

Jack Marino and Isaac Delaney, both 19-year-old students in Manchester who don’t consider themselves Republicans but plan to vote for Haley due to her governor’s endorsement in next week’s primary.

Sununu has given Haley his endorsement and supported her in debates, saying that Republicans without an avenue to victory should withdraw and leave it up to voters. Yet it remains to be seen if his support will be enough for her to overthrow Trump or even get within striking distance of him as endorsements are losing power in post-Brexit voters who tend to follow alternatives over party leaders.

Rick Perry’s Campaign

As soon as Rick Perry entered the race, many Republicans were charmed by his message of social conservatism and limited federal government. According to Dartmouth College political scientist Linda Fowler, however, many voters in New Hampshire favored stricter limits on offering services to illegal immigrants who lacked proper paperwork. Rick Perry had difficulty winning them over due to his moderate view on illegal immigration which she believes did not resonate with voters who valued stricter restrictions in providing government services for those illegally present in the country.

Fowler notes that Perry is making efforts to position himself for another run at office. During a recent visit to New Hampshire, he hosted small town hall meetings and meet-and-greet events; such events provide voters with direct engagement opportunities – which is especially important in a small state where politics are highly visible. But Fowler doubts whether Perry can make an appearance again by 2024 despite all these efforts.

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