New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) has been one of former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley’s most vocal supporters as she tries to win the Republican nomination for president. Just a few weeks ago, Sununu predicted Haley would finish second in Iowa, win New Hampshire and ultimately change the complexion of the GOP primary.
With the New Hampshire primary just days away, however, Sununu seems to be changing his tune.
Sununu and Haley appeared together in an interview with ABC’s Jonathan Karl back in December and the two all but assured a victory for Haley in New Hampshire.
“If everyone that could vote in the primary comes out and votes, not only — she’s going to win in a landslide,” Sununu said. “And that’s not an exaggeration.”
“It’s exciting. We can feel it on the ground. We’re going to do this,” Haley concluded, discussing the excitement her campaign was feeling in the state.
On Wednesday night, just a month after making those statements, Sununu no longer seems as confident that Haley can win the New Hampshire primary.
“I am not predicting anything,” Sununu told Fox News. “I think she could win. We’ve already exceeded expectations in terms of a one-on-one race. A strong second is going to be great. It’s going to be hard.”
NEW: @ChrisSununu just said Nikki Haley "always wanted to have a strong second" in New Hampshire. “That's the only expectation we ever laid out,” he claims.
Sununu previously promised Haley would “win in a landslide.”
Roll the tape. pic.twitter.com/IEmWUskQyc
— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) January 18, 2024
New Hampshire was thought to be Haley’s best chance to beat former President Donald Trump and prevent him from running away with the Republican nomination. After her third-place finish in Iowa, however, that prospect is looking less likely.
With Sununu’s endorsement in December, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie dropping out of the race recently, Haley shot up the New Hampshire primary polls. According to 538, Haley went from 14.1% on November 1 to almost 34% today, just 13 points behind Trump.
Many people believed that a strong showing in Iowa would add to Haley’s momentum and create a two-person race between Trump and her. Trump dismissed that idea by telling a group of his supporters in New Hampshire that Haley was counting on Democrats and liberal Republicans to infiltrate the New Hampshire primary.
“A group of people coming in that are not Republicans,” the 45th president said, “and it’s artificially boosting her numbers here, although we’re still leading her by a lot.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has given up on New Hampshire and has focused his resources on South Carolina, so it will be a two-person race on Tuesday. If Haley does not win on Tuesday and DeSantis cannot beat Trump in South Carolina, the path to the GOP nomination for anyone other than Trump would be in doubt.
