Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley appears to still be riding a post-debate wave that is raising her profile and poll numbers in the primary for the Republican nomination.
POLITICO obtained a new poll on Tuesday that shows her tied with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has dropped in the polls and was threatening DeSantis for second place. This poll was conducted by NMB Research and surveyed 800 likely GOP primary voters in the state from August 25 to 31.
Haley gets post-debate bounce to second place tie in NEW HAMPSHIRE with DeSantis — at 10%.
Trump dominating overall field with 47% of primary vote. https://t.co/AhyuFc4OUR
— Josh Kraushaar (@JoshKraushaar) September 5, 2023
The fact that more than half the respondents chose to support a different candidate indicates that the Republican base is largely uneasy.
The former president currently has 47% of the vote on the primary ballot. This gives him a lead of more than 30 points over his closest rivals (Ron DeSantis at 10% and Nikki Haley at 10%).
Chris Christie and Vivek Ramaswamy are both at 8%. No other candidate received more than 5%.
DeSantis is the top choice for second choices, with 20 percent of voters indicating that he will be their second pick in the primary. Haley is the second pick of 15% of voters and Ramaswamy the second.
This poll appears to be in line with other pollsters’ findings after the first Republican debate. Haley made a strong impression on stage, and it seems that she has convinced voters that she is not a mere contender for a running mate or cabinet position.
According to RealClearPolitics’ average polling, her national support has jumped from 3 to 6 percent. In the primary after the debate, state-level polling is not available for other early states such as Iowa, South Carolina, and Nevada.
DeSantis has seen his numbers nationally recover after a significant dip in March. DeSantis’ numbers have been recovering slightly, nationally, after a major dip that began in March.
Vivek Ramaswamy appears to be holding steady but is unable to rise. He is the second choice of voters and could see a big boost if top candidates like Trump or DeSantis drop out. He has been a victim of his own flip-flops in terms of positions and foreign policies that are not in line with the Republican Party. This could hurt him for the rest of the campaign.
Haley’s continued rise not only increases her stock but also shows there are still many things that can happen before the first vote. There is still some time before the Iowa caucus and it’s possible that candidates have one or two surprises left to give voters.
