Republican New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu threw his support behind former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley for president on Tuesday just a month out from the state’s first-in-the-nation primary.
After Sununu declined to run for president himself, and months of speculation on which GOP candidate the governor would pick, he endorsed Haley during a New Hampshire town hall. The governor praised Haley for her ground game efforts in the state and said he’s “all in” for her, according to multiple reports.
“You bet your ass I am,” Sununu said in reference to endorsing Haley. “To see her out there, to see her connecting with folks, it is real.” (RELATED: ‘Step Aside’: GOP Gov From Key Early State Pledges To Help Narrow Primary Field, Endorse Trump Alternative)
Sununu had been campaigning with several Republican presidential candidates as he weighed who to endorse, including Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who has since dropped out of the race.
Following months of consideration earlier in the year, Sununu decided not to run for president in June, and subsequently announced he wouldn’t seek another term as governor in July. Sununu is a frequent critic of former President Donald Trump, and pledged to back an alternative ahead of New Hampshire’s Jan. 23 primary.
It’s going to be a great day in New Hampshire with Governor @ChrisSununu.
See everyone in Manchester tonight! pic.twitter.com/JKDIzvvezY
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) December 12, 2023
Haley has seen a rise in the New Hampshire polls since mid-September coinciding with the Republican National Committee’s debates this fall. The former ambassador is currently averaging in second behind only Trump with 18.7% support, followed by Christie at 11.3%, DeSantis at 7.7% and conservative businessman Vivek Ramaswamy at 7%, according to RealClearPolitics (RCP).
“This is an opportunity for New Hampshire to lead this country,” Sununu said, “and say we’re not looking in the rearview mirror.”
DeSantis garnered the other highly sought-after endorsement from the first two nominating states, with Iowa’s Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds announcing her support in early November ahead of the Jan. 15 caucus. The governor, who is polling in second in Iowa with 19.7%, then picked up another key endorsement two weeks later from The Family Leader President Bob Vander Plaats.
The RCP average for a 2024 national Republican primary, based on polls conducted between Nov. 26 and Dec. 11, indicates Trump has a 48-point lead on the primary field, followed by DeSantis with 12.5%, Haley with 12.3%, Ramaswamy with 5% and Christie with 2.9%.
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