Former NH Sen. Judd Gregg endorses Haley presidential bid

Former New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg (R) announced in an op-ed on Wednesday that he was throwing his support behind former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley in the 2024 GOP primary.

“The American people deserve a Republican candidate for president who will deliver a positive, effective, upbeat, conservative message. They seek real leadership and Nikki Haley delivers that type of leadership,” Gregg, also a former governor in the Granite State, wrote in the Union Leader.

Gregg argued that Republicans need a nominee who can win after the GOP faced critical losses over the last several election cycles, including losing the presidency in 2020 and twice failing to win back the Senate majority. 

The New Hampshire Republican described Haley as a “leader in the tradition of Ronald Reagan” and “a true fiscal conservative.”

“Equally important, she knows how to deal with the widening crises that are inflaming the world. No other candidate has her background. Nikki brings a unique and much needed real world, rational view to the international issues that require America’s attention if we are to protect our interests and those of our allies,” he added.

The New Hampshire endorsement is a boost for the former U.N. ambassador as the race to become the alternative to former President Trump increasingly looks like a two-way contest between Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. 

A RealClearPolitics polling average of Iowa surveys shows DeSantis placing second after Trump, but the political website’s polling averages of New Hampshire and South Carolina surveys show Haley placing second.