New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu endorsed former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley in the Republican presidential race Tuesday, six weeks before the state opens its first-in-the-nation primary election.
“This is an opportunity for New Hampshire to lead this country, for New Hampshire to say we’re not looking in the rearview mirror anymore,” Sununu said during a campaign appearance with Haley in Manchester.
Haley's big endorsement comes as she sits in second place in recent polling behind Donald Trump. A University of New Hampshire/CNN poll in November showed Trump gathering 42% of likely GOP primary voters. Haley was in second place with 20%.
Gov. Sununu has indicated he hopes to steer the Republican party away from Trump.
"Donald Trump does not represent the Republican Party," Sununu said earlier this year. "He might be our nominee, but he doesn’t represent the future. He’s yesterday’s news."
Trump won the 2016 GOP primary in New Hampshire with 35% of the vote. In both 2016 and 2020, he lost the state — first to Hilary Clinton, and then to Joe Biden.
Governors in other early-mover states have made different endorsements. In Iowa, which holds the first caucuses of the election year, Gov. Kim Reynolds endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. In South Carolina, which votes fourth out of the GOP states, Gov. Henry McMaster endorsed Trump.
