Trump widens NH lead after DeSantis drops out of race: Poll

Former President Trump has increased his lead over Nikki Haley in a new poll from New Hampshire after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dropped out of the race over the weekend ahead of the first-in-the-nation primary.

Trump gained 3 percentage points in the final survey produced by Suffolk University. With DeSantis out of the primary, the former president had 59.6 percent support among New Hampshire voters, while Haley held second place with 37.8 percent, the survey found.

DeSantis suspended his bid in the GOP primary on Sunday, marking the end of his rise and fall for the candidate once seen as the most viable alternative to Trump. In a video announcing his campaign termination, DeSantis said it’s clear that Republican voters want Trump, handing his rival his endorsement.

A majority of New Hampshire voters who said they were casting their ballots for Trump on Tuesday said their vote was a “FOR Donald Trump” vote, while Haley voters were split.

Half of Haley’s supporters said they would vote for the former United Nations ambassador as a signal of support for her, while half said she was receiving their vote as a protest against the former president.

An overwhelming majority of voters surveyed said it is not likely that they would change their mind before casting their ballot.

According to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ, based on an average of 65 polls, Trump has a 13.8 percent lead over the only remaining GOP candidate. The former president has 50.6 percent support.

Haley, who has seen a steady increase in support thanks to several strong debate performances and the governor’s endorsement, is still trailing behind Trump with 36.8 percent support.

The poll surveyed 500 likely Republican primary voters in the state Sunday and Monday, and it has a margin of error of 4.4 percent.