Sununu expected to endorse Haley: Reports
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu is set to endorse Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley on Tuesday evening at her town hall event in Manchester, according to reports.
Sununu’s potential endorsement is key in the early voting state, where Haley and other candidates have six weeks to catch up to former President Trump, who is the front-runner.
Haley, who served as ambassador to the United Nations, has been gaining momentum in the polls thanks to several strong debate performances.
Sununu is a vocal Trump critic who has yet to throw support behind any candidate competing against the former president. He spent time on the campaign trail with Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R).
Sununu, who is serving his fourth term as New Hampshire’s governor, previously mulled a bid for the GOP nomination himself, but opted to stay out of the race in June.
He previously said he wasn’t sure who he would endorse, but earning the popular governor’s support would help any candidate ahead of the state’s Jan. 23 primary.
His campaign would not confirm a potential endorsement but did confirm he would be attending Haley’s rally Tuesday.
“I look forward to joining Nikki at her town hall this evening – it’s going to be a lot of fun!” Sununu told The Hill.
A Republican close to the governor told CNN that “he’s all in.” WMUR and ABC News also reported the endorsement is coming.
The Hill has reached out to Haley for comment on the potential endorsement.
Democratic National Committee press secretary Sarafina Chitika argued in a statement that Haley would lose regardless of the endorsement and called Sununu’s support “the nail in the coffin.”
Sununu is extremely popular in New Hampshire, and strategists have told The Hill his endorsement may help independents consider casting their vote for Haley in the critical state.
According to national polling from FiveThirtyEight, Haley has seen her support increase in recent months compared to DeSantis. Still, they both trail Trump by double digits.
In a November poll, 46 percent of registered Republicans or undeclared New Hampshire voters said they would vote for Trump, and 18 percent said they would cast their ballot for Haley in a hypothetical primary race.
Updated: 12:50 p.m.
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