New Hampshire polls open as Haley seeks strong US primary showing

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - Polling places across the US state of New Hampshire opened Tuesday as former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley seeks to show the viability of her primary bid against former President Donald Trump.

Haley has in recent weeks eaten away at Trump's lead in the northeastern state, though it remains unclear how Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' abrupt weekend withdrawal from the race will affect the contest's final figures. A compilation of polling from the RealClearPolitics website has Trump ahead by 19 points in the Granite State.

Trump and Haley have ramped up their attacks on one another in recent days, with the ex-president spreading racially charged conspiracy theories against his one-time UN envoy – questioning her birthplace, citizenship, and right to be elected president – and Haley casting doubt about Trump's mental aptitude amid a growing series of gaffes.

That included Trump appearing to mistake Haley for former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi during a recent campaign rally.

But Trump is riding high following his lopsided win in the Iowa Republican caucus, and is seeking to bring that momentum to Tuesday's contest.

Republicans are vying for 22 delegates ahead of July's Republican National Convention.

While 32 delegates are theoretically being contested for Democrats, the stakes of the primary are far from certain amid an ongoing dispute between state authorities in New Hampshire and the national Democratic Party.

The Democratic National Committee announced in February 2023 an overhaul of their primary calendar in a bid to give a larger voice to Black and minority voters, a growing contingent of both the US electorate and Democratic-leaning voters.

Iowa and New Hampshire, traditionally the proud claimants to the first and second nominating contests in the nation, respectively, are overwhelmingly white states. In each, white Americans make up some 90% of the population, according to the US Census Bureau.

The calendar shift has led to a showdown with New Hampshire authorities. State law mandates that its primary be held seven days before other similar nominating contests. Since Iowa uses the caucus system, it does not apply.

The DNC has vowed not to award delegates at the national convention based on the results of the unsanctioned primary.

US President Joe Biden will not appear on the ballot because of the dispute. Instead of campaigning in New Hampshire, the president is slated to hold a rally in Virginia early Tuesday evening, seeking to rally voters in the divided purple state to his side.