Trump’s Republican Challengers in New Hampshire
Sudan Events – Sumaya Sayed
Republican candidates trying to stop Donald Trump from being the party’s White House nominee shift to New Hampshire, a week ahead of its nominating contest, after the ex-president scored a record win in Iowa.
Trump took over half the votes in the Iowa contest on Monday, propelling him toward what looks set to be a close and acrimonious election campaign against President Joe Biden, a Democrat.
The two rivals have dramatically different policies on a range of key issues, from relations with NATO allies abroad to economic and tax policies, abortion rights and immigration at home.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, 45, finished well behind Trump in second place in Iowa, edging out former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, 51, into third.
Haley, who has previously spoken of how voters in New Hampshire can “correct” the Iowa result, is polling second to Trump in the state, with DeSantis far behind.
The northeastern state is well-known for its relatively moderate, libertarian-minded brand of Republicanism.
Moreover, the primary contest in New Hampshire is “semi-open,” meaning voters that are not registered with any party can participate, which can reward candidates perceived to be centrists.
Trying to take advantage, Haley has campaigned heavily in New Hampshire while DeSantis bet heavily on Iowa.
Haley was to hold a rally in northern New Hampshire on Tuesday with the state governor, Chris Sununu, who has endorsed her. DeSantis is set to hold a town hall event and Trump will deliver remarks at a country club in the southeast.
Trump, 77, is the only current or ex-US president to be charged with criminal activity, but he won by an unprecedented margin for an Iowa Republican contest, strengthening his case that his nomination is a foregone conclusion given his massive lead in national polls.
