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CONCORD, N.H. — Nikki Haley took the stage proudly in front of hundreds of supporters shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday in the ballroom of the Grappone Conference Center.

About 200 of Haley’s supporters crowded the room, with dozens more waving signs in the stands behind the podium. Former President Donald Trump had already won the Republican primary in New Hampshire — most major outlets called the race moments after all polls closed. But Haley vowed to stay in the race, reaffirming her hopes of gaining momentum through the South Carolina primary next month.

“New Hampshire is first in the nation,” Haley told her supporters after conceding to Trump. “It is not the last in the nation. This race is far from over. There are dozens of states left to go, and the next one is my sweet state of South Carolina.”

As votes came in throughout election night, Haley supporters’ enthusiasm never wavered. While Trump’s victory was decisive — the former president received 54.4% of the vote as of 12 a.m. Wednesday, according to The New York Times, with Haley receiving 43.6% — Haley’s goal of providing a challenge for Trump remained consistent, reflecting the opinions of voters at polling stations across the state who dreaded a Trump victory.

Haley’s speech attacked Trump, blaming him for Republicans losing multiple elections since 2018 and questioning his mental acuity.

“With Donald Trump, you have one round of chaos after another,” Haley said. “This court case, that controversy, this tweet, that senior moment — you can’t fix Joe Biden’s chaos with Republican chaos.”

Peter and Sue Hennigan, undeclared voters from Hampton who both voted for Haley for the sole reason of providing an alternative to Trump, said the necessity for their decision was an indictment of democracy’s decline in the U.S.

“She’s going to be lucky if it’s single digits, but that sends a message,” Peter Hennigan said. “In South Carolina, she’s going to get Trump there in her own state. I mean, Jesus, just listen to the guy.”

Dimitri Korsunsky, an undeclared Portsmouth resident originally from Moscow, also voted for Haley, and said Trump would set the U.S. on a “path to dictatorship.”

“He’s dictator material,” Korsunsky said. “I just want to see somebody without a hunger for power.”

Elsewhere on Tuesday night, President Joe Biden won the Democratic primary, according to the New York Times. His closest challenger, Congressman Dean Phillips, won just 19.9% of the vote as of 12 a.m. Wednesday.

Biden did not appear on the Democratic primary ballot in New Hampshire after the Democratic National Convention declined to recognize the state’s delegates as the first in the country. While it will take some time to officially count all the write-in ballots, it’s expected the vast majority will be for Biden and won’t significantly affect the projected total.

Some New Hampshire voters said they voted for Biden to maintain civility in the White House and avoid a second term for Trump. Anne Bliss, a Democrat living in Portsmouth who voted for Biden through a write-in ballot, didn’t appreciate Biden’s absence on the ballot and in the state in the run-up to the primary, but said she was scared at the prospect of Trump becoming president again.

“(Trump) is going to be a mean despot, and America will not be great,” Bliss said. “ He’s just a media expert. That’s it. Biden’s a politician. There are things to say about politicians, but I think he’s a man who does love our country and wants to do the right thing.”

According to a CBS News poll taken between Jan. 10 and 12, Haley leads Biden in support for the general election — Trump leads Biden by two points while Haley leads by seven. In her concession speech Tuesday night, Haley claimed most Americans don’t want a rematch between Trump and Biden, and said she had a better chance to win the presidency than Trump.

“South Carolina voters don’t want a coronation,” Haley said. “They want an election, and we are going to give them one.”

Published on January 24, 2024 at 12:37 am

Contact Richard: rcperrin@syr.edu | @richardperrins2