Retired general leading race to take on Hassan in New Hampshire: poll

A retired general is outpacing his Republican competitors ahead of New Hampshire’s GOP Senate primary to take on incumbent Sen. Maggie Hassan (D), according to a new poll.

A poll out on Monday conducted by the Saint Anselm College Survey Center and New Hampshire Institute of Politics shows retired Army Gen. Don Bolduc leading with 32 percent support among Republican voters.

The polling shows New Hampshire state Senate President Chuck Morse in second place with 16 percent support. Former Londonderry Town Manager Kevin Smith, businessman Bruce Fenton and businessman Vikram Mansharamani all received less than 5 percent support.

“With the primary elections just a month away, the stage is set for competitive federal elections. The Republican primaries for United States Senate and the 1st Congressional District have begun to take shape, while the race for the 2nd Congressional District is still largely undefined,” New Hampshire Institute of Politics Executive Director Neil Levesque said in a statement. 

“The Republicans have solid opportunities in New Hampshire, but with tough and experienced incumbents, nominees will have to pivot quickly and smoothly into the general election campaign to win.” 

The polling comes ahead of New Hampshire’s Sept. 13 primaries. Hassan is facing two primary challengers: retired dentist Paul Krautmann and John Riggieri, who has been previously convicted of animal abuse.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates Hassan’s seat as “lean Democrat.”

The full poll surveyed 1,898 New Hampshire voters from Aug. 9 to Aug. 11 with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 2.3 percentage points at a confidence level of 95 percent. Among Republican voters surveyed the margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.