DeSantis polls in single digits behind Haley, Trump in New Hampshire

A new poll of likely New Hampshire GOP primary voters shows Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis trailing behind former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and former President Trump with only 6 percent of support ahead of the state’s key primary on Tuesday.

The CNN/University of New Hampshire (UNH) poll shows Haley with 39 percent support and Trump once again leading his opponents by double digits with 50 percent support. Trump increased his lead in New Hampshire compared with a CNN poll in January that showed him with 39 percent support and Haley with 32 percent.

The pool of likely GOP primary voters in New Hampshire includes non-Republican affiliated voters, unlike other primaries. Among those who identify as Republicans in the Granite State, 63 percent support Trump, 25 percent support Haley and 8 percent support DeSantis.

Overwhelmingly, Haley won the backing of self-described “liberal/progressive/socialists,” with 91 percent supporting her and 71 percent of self-described “moderates” backing her as well.

Haley also wins among likely GOP primary voters who identify as “Independent/Democrat,” winning 73 percent of the vote to Trump’s 20 percent.

When looking at party registration, similarly, 58 percent of “registered undeclared/not registered” voters support Haley, while 30 percent support Trump and 4 percent support DeSantis. Among registered Republicans, 67 percent support Trump, 23 percent support Haley and 4 percent support DeSantis.

The New Hampshire primary is set to take place this Tuesday, marking the second major presidential nominating contest after Iowa, which Trump won in a rout.

Haley has risen to double-digit support ahead of DeSantis in recent polls. DeSantis, once seen as Trump’s most formidable contender, has seen his support drop among Republican primary voters in recent weeks. Nationally, Trump is leading by 50 percentage points, according to Decision Desk HQ’s latest national polling average.  

The CNN/UNH poll was conducted online between Jan. 16 and Jan. 19 and included 2,348 respondents, including 1,242 likely 2024 Republican primary voters. The CNN poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points among likely GOP primary voters in New Hampshire.