Donald Trump emerged as the victor in the New Hampshire Republican primary, consolidating his position in the race
Despite Trump's victory, Nikki Haley remained steadfast in her campaign, vowing to continue the fight and sharpening her attacks against Trump
Before the primary, Trump led the polls with a significant margin over Haley, with an average of 52% of likely primary voters supporting him compared to Haley's nearly 37%
Haley's approach involved targeting more moderate voters in New Hampshire and attempting to tap into the support base of independent or unaffiliated voters, who comprise a substantial portion of the electorate
A victory for Haley in New Hampshire could have positioned her as a viable alternative to Trump, challenging his dominance in the Republican race
New Hampshire’s election rules, which allow independent voters to participate in the GOP primary, potentially benefited Haley, who reportedly had strong support among these voters
The departure of candidates like Chris Christie from the race opened up opportunities for Haley to consolidate anti-Trump votes
In his victory speech, Trump criticized Haley's decision to continue her campaign and dismissed her claims about her winnability against President Joe Biden
Haley's campaign strategy included focusing on states like New Hampshire, where Trump's support was perceived to be weaker, and leveraging endorsements from popular local figures like Governor Chris Sununu
Following New Hampshire, the focus shifted to future primaries, with South Carolina being a significant next step, especially for Haley, given her connections to the state