Fresh polling data from New Hampshire indicates a potential narrowing of ex-President Donald Trump’s previously significant lead over his fellow Republican contenders, within the state known for holding the inaugural primary and the second contest in the GOP presidential nomination schedule.
A recent poll conducted by the Survey Center of the University of New Hampshire, made public on Tuesday, shows Trump securing the endorsement of 37% of probable Republican presidential primary voters in the state. Meanwhile, Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida has a 23% backing, and the remainder of the robust candidate roster is experiencing single-digit poll numbers.
The 14-point advantage that Trump holds over DeSantis has seen a decrease from a 20-point gap revealed by the preceding University of New Hampshire poll, undertaken before DeSantis announced his presidential ambitions.
This lead is less pronounced compared to recent polls from different bodies in New Hampshire, where Trump was seen to hold a considerably broader polling lead over DeSantis and other candidates.
The fresh survey, which was carried out from July 13th to 17th, shows Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina with an 8% backing. Former Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, who is embarking on his second attempt at the presidency, shares a 6% backing with Governor Doug Burgum of North Dakota.
Also featuring in the poll, the ex-Ambassador to the U.N. and previous South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, as well as businessman and political analyst Vivek Ramaswamy, both tallied at 5%, with all other candidates scoring 1% or less.
Trump, who embarked on his third consecutive presidential campaign last November, has made four visits to New Hampshire this year. He and DeSantis have both staged events in the state in late June, with DeSantis returning on July 4th to participate in two Independence Day parades.
Three weeks prior, Trump officially inaugurated his campaign’s New Hampshire headquarters, and his campaign staff revealed their initial grassroots leadership team for the state.
After a narrow defeat to Senator Ted Cruz of Texas in the 2016 Iowa presidential caucuses, Trump’s decisive win in New Hampshire’s primary propelled him towards the GOP nomination and eventually, the presidency.
Six months ahead of the primary, the poll indicated that only 35% of likely GOP nomination voters in New Hampshire are certain about their candidate of choice. However, among Trump’s supporters, this number surges to 76%.
The University of New Hampshire’s poll surveyed 898 likely Republican primary voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points. The poll was carried out before the recent announcement that Trump is the subject of an investigation regarding the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol and attempts to invalidate the 2020 election.
