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5 Key Takeaways From the New Hampshire Primary

January 24, 2024

President Trump claimed another decisive victory, but Nikki Haley refused calls to end her campaign.

CONCORD, N.H.—President Donald Trump won the New Hampshire Republican primary on Jan. 23, defeating Nikki Haley, the last contender standing from an initial field of 13 major candidates.

In the Democratic primary, President Joe Biden, who did not appear on the ballot, saved face thanks to a write-in campaign in a contest that was declared “meaningless” by the Democratic National Committee.

After a primary season that many Granite State voters called disappointing, the likely nominees for both parties have emerged at a historically early date, potentially creating the longest general election in American history.

Trump Wins Again

With 91 percent of the votes reported, President Trump had gained 54.9 percent to Ms. Haley’s 43.2 percent, according to the Associated Press.

“Nikki came in last, not second!” President Trump posted on Truth Social late on Jan. 23.

His victory was a strong one it was big, not bigly. In Iowa, President Trump bested Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis by a full 30 percentage points.

President Trump is the first non-incumbent since 1976 to win both Iowa and New Hampshire. Yet, as a former occupant of the White House, he is seen as a quasi-incumbent by his base—a group of Americans who proved more loyal to him than many Beltway Republicans expected.

With two wins in a row, including this one where anti-Trump independent voters were a factor, President Trump has the wind at his back.

Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the House, told The Epoch Times that he believes this is the fastest Republican primary in history, in terms of the field reducing to a single viable candidate this soon into the election cycle.

“This race is over” following a New Hampshire victory for President Trump, he said.

“In recent history, I think Trump is going to be the first non-incumbent to sweep the primary caucus process,” predicted Craig Shirley, a Reagan biographer, in an interview with The Epoch Times.