(The Hill) - GOP rivals former President Trump and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley are tied in New Hampshire, new polling shows, as the primary race heads into the Granite State.
The new survey from American Research Group, Inc., released Monday, puts Trump and Haley at 40 percent each among the state's likely Republican primary voters.
Back in December, Trump was at 33 percent, while Haley scored 29 percent. Both candidates had gained support by the start of January, when the poll had Trump at 37 percent and Haley at 33 percent.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who beat out Haley for second place in Iowa’s first-in-the-nation caucuses on Monday, garnered just 4 percent support among New Hampshire Republicans in the new poll.
In Iowa, Trump was the clear winner with 51 percent of the vote, according to election data from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ. The former president was followed by DeSantis with 21 percent support and Haley with 19 percent.
But Haley is arguing New Hampshire, which hosts its primary on Jan. 23, is a one-on-one between her and the former president. She’s been gaining on Trump in recent Granite State polling and boasts the endorsement of Gov. Chris Sununu (R-N.H.).
Observers say Haley, who previous served under the Trump administration as ambassador to the United Nations, has a chance of a strong finish in the state — but some predict that if Trump wins both Iowa and New Hampshire, it’s a near-impossible path for one of his rivals to snag the nomination down the line.
The American Research Group, Inc., poll was conducted with 600 likely Republican primary voters in New Hampshire, which included both Republicans and undeclared voters, between Jan. 12-15, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.