Oct 4, 2023 - Politics & Policy

Nikki Haley overtakes DeSantis in New Hampshire poll

Erin Doherty

Republican presidential candidate former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley delivers remarks during the FOX Business Republican Primary Debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on September 27, 2023 in Simi Valley, California. — Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley delivers remarks during the FOX Business Republican Primary Debate on Sept. 27 in Simi Valley, California. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Two polls out Wednesday show former UN ambassador Nikki Haley in second place in the crowded 2024 Republican primary.

Why it matters: Haley is still far behind former President Trump, but her polling among voters in New Hampshire and South Carolina is the latest sign of her jolt of momentum after two strong debate performances.

By the numbers: Haley leads Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis 19% to 10% in a Suffolk University/Boston Globe/USA TODAY poll out Wednesday of likely New Hampshire Republican primary voters.

Trump, the consistent frontrunner in primary polls, won 49% of support.
No candidate other than Trump, Haley and DeSantis received double-digits in the poll of voters in the first-in-nation primary state.

In another poll out Wednesday, Haley leads DeSantis 17% to 12% among Republican voters in South Carolina.

Half of Republican voters in South Carolina said they would be most likely to support Trump for their party's nomination in 2024, according to the Winthrop Poll.

The big picture: Haley's momentum in primary polling comes after she saw the biggest polling boost after her first debate performance.

In a sign of her growing momentum, the Trump campaign has increasingly targeted Haley, including by circulating a fact sheet in the middle of the second debate titled, "The Real Nikki Haley."

Haley was sharp on policy details during the second debate and launched the first attack DeSantis had faced in either of the two debates.

What to watch: The New Hampshire poll comes just before GOP candidates are set to descend on the Granite State next week for a weekend cattle call hosted by the state's Republican Party.

Go deeper: Nikki Haley "not worried" about Trump's dominant polling lead

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Nikki Haley overtakes DeSantis in New Hampshire poll

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