New Hampshire primary replay: Donald Trump wins, but Nikki Haley vows not to quit
Former President Donald Trump defeated former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in the New Hampshire Republican primary, winning over crucial Granite State voters.
The New Hampshire primary has long wielded the power to make or break presidential candidates. On Tuesday, all eyes were on the GOP race as Haley tried to build momentum against Trump with a coalition that included moderate and independent voters.
On the Democratic side, President Joe Biden also beat his challengers via a write-in campaign, defeating Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., and author Marianne Williamson.
Catch up with the USA TODAY Network's live coverage, with our reporters answering your questions and bringing you insights from New Hampshire's voters and leaders. Find results here.
A double-digit defeat in New Hampshire for Haley
Donald Trump's margin of victory over former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley stood at 11.3 percentage points early Wednesday with more than 90% of the votes counted in the New Hampshire Republican primary.
The former president had 163,700 votes in the Granite State, to Haley's 129,646. Trump had secured 11 New Hampshire delegates, while Haley garnered eight delegates.
With the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary complete, Trump has 31 delegates and Haley has 16. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who suspended his hard-luck campaign on Jan. 21, has nine while Vivek Ramaswamy, who dropped out on Jan. 15 after a fourth-place finish in Iowa, has three, according to the Associated Press.
The GOP nominating contest now moves to Haley's home state of South Carolina on Feb. 24. The former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations is the last major challenger to Trump's steamroller campaign.
– Dan Morrison
When is the next Republican primary?
Now that Donald Trump and Joe Biden have clinched victory in the New Hampshire primary, when is the next GOP race?
Nevada and the Virgin Islands hold their caucuses on Feb. 8, and South Carolina holds its Republican primary on Feb. 24.
– Anna Kaufman, Marina Pitofsky
Joe Biden's campaign after New Hampshire primary: ‘Trump has all but locked up the GOP nomination'
Despite Nikki Haley vowing to press on Tuesday night, Joe Biden's reelection campaign said Donald Trump’s double-digit victory in New Hampshire makes his Republican nomination a virtual certainty as they looked ahead to an election rematch against Trump.
“Tonight’s results confirm Donald Trump has all but locked up the GOP nomination, and the election denying, anti-freedom MAGA movement has completed its takeover of the Republican Party,” Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said in a statement.
Biden has seemingly been running against Trump for months, but the statement Tuesday went the farthest in disregarding his Republican opponents.
“While we work toward November 2024,” Rodriguez said, "one thing is increasingly clear today: Donald Trump is headed straight into a general election matchup where he’ll face the only person to have ever beaten him at the ballot box: Joe Biden.”
– Joey Garrison
Donald Trump to Tim Scott: You must hate Nikki Haley
As part of his all-out attack on Nikki Haley, Donald Trump used her fellow South Carolinian, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., during his angry victory speech Tuesday night.
“You must really hate her,” the former president told Scott, noting Haley, the former South Carolina governor, appointed Scott to the U.S. Senate. Scott in recent weeks endorsed Trump for the presidency.
Scott replied: "I just love you."
– David Jackson
Mitch McConnell holds off on endorsing Donald Trump
Before Donald Trump's win in New Hampshire on Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., dodged confirming whether he will endorse the former president in the 2024 race for the White House.
McConnell told reporters earlier in the day that the New Hampshire primary results are of "great interest," but "I’ve stayed essentially out of it."
The Kentucky Republican vowed that he would let reporters know if he changes his mind.
– Marina Pitofsky
How did Joe Biden win a write-in campaign if he skipped New Hampshire’s primary?
Joe Biden declined to appear on the New Hampshire ballot because of a dispute with the state over the date of its contest. Democrats in the national party ordered New Hampshire, which is required by state law to hold the first-in-the-nation primary, to move its contest.
At the president’s urging, the Democratic National Committee gave South Carolina – a state with a more diverse population ? the honor of going first in this year’s presidential selection process.
But a volunteer coalition, called Granite State Write-In, spent about $70,000 on stickers, signs and two staff members. A super PAC spent another $1.4 million on mailers targeting likely Democratic voters and digital and newspaper ads.
Organizers had a clear goal: Deliver Biden a win in the New Hampshire primary even though his name wasn't on the ballot.
– Karissa Waddick, Francesca Chambers
Donald Trump's supporters celebrate his New Hampshire win
After Donald Trump placed first in New Hampshire, a crowd of his supporters at his watch party in Nashua broke out into cheered.
Among the crowd was Rusat Ramgopal, 23, who called the former president’s victory “historic.”
“I think it's just further evidence that he will be the Republican nominee,” said Ramgopal, a former Republican nominee for New York City Council.
Gary Mulkigiam, 32, said he thinks Trump's victory signals a unified front for the Republican Party.
“He won in Iowa. He won New Hampshire. DeSantis dropped out, like everybody else, pretty much - Vivek (Ramaswamy) dropped out, and now put their support to Trump. So it’s like a unified front now,” said Mulkigiam, an Exeter resident who works in sales.
– Sudiksha Kochi
Donald Trump claims victory, calls Nikki Haley an 'imposter'
In remarks to supporters, Donald Trump declared victory and blamed non-Republican independent voters for holding down his margin against Nikki Haley in New Hampshire.
“This is a fantastic state,” Trump said at a victory party in Nashua, New Hampshire, before denouncing Haley, calling her an "imposter" and claiming she had a "very bad night."
“She didn’t win. She lost,” Trump said, reassuring his supporters that “we had one hell of a night tonight.”
Trump expressed confidence in the Republican-only Nevada caucuses on Feb. 8 and South Carolina primary a few weeks later: “Just a little note to Nikki,” Trump said. “She’s not going to win.”
In a statement, Haley's team said of Trump: "If Trump is in such good shape, why is he so angry?"
– David Jackson
Nikki Haley looks to South Carolina primary
Following her loss in the New Hampshire primary, Nikki Haley quickly turned her focus to her home state of South Carolina. The Palmetto State will hold its pivotal primary next month.
As a crowd of supporters in Concord, New Hampshire, chanted "Nikki! Nikki! Nikki" the former South Carolina governor said "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," Haley said, later adding "When we get to South Carolina, Donald Trump's going to have a harder time falsely attacking me."
– Marina Pitofsky
Donald Trump immediately knocks Nikki Haley
As Nikki Haley spoke to supporters about moving on following her loss in New Hampshire, Donald Trump used his Truth Social account to criticize his newly invigorated rival.
“Haley said she had to WIN in New Hampshire. SHE DIDN’T!!!” he said in one of several posts. Trump also claimed he would defeat her again in upcoming contests in Nevada and South Carolina.
Trump in an interview with Fox News Digital also called on Haley to drop out of the 2024 race, saying "If she doesn’t drop out, we have to waste money instead of spending it on Biden, which is our focus."
The former South Carolina governor during her speech on Tuesday night called on the nation to move on from the former president as Trump seeks another term in the White House.
– David Jackson
Nikki Haley vows to stay in, says race is 'far from over'
Nikki Haley on Tuesday night told her supporters that she's "a fighter," even after her loss to Donald Trump in the New Hampshire primary.
Haley told her supporters during remarks in Concord that "New Hampshire is first in the nation... it is not last in the nation.... this race is far from over."
After the Granite State's primary, Haley will likely set her sights on courting potential supporters her home state of South Carolina. The Republican Palmetto State primary is set for Feb. 24.
– Marina Pitofsky, Francesca Chambers
Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik congratulates Donald Trump early
Some Republicans couldn't wait to congratulate Donald Trump on Tuesday, including Rep. Elise Stefanik,one of his potential vice presidential picks.
In a statement emailed a half-hour before the final polls closed, Stefanik saluted Trump for "making history as the first GOP challenger candidate to win both Iowa and New Hampshire."
Similar tributes poured in after news outlets called the race shortly after 8 p.m. Eastern time.
– David Jackson
Donald Trump wins the New Hampshire primary
Donald Trump has won the New Hampshire primary, stopping Nikki Haley’s push to defeat him in the Granite State.
The moment comes after he clinched a quick, sweeping victory over his rivals in Iowa last week. While he isn’t officially the 2024 Republican nominee yet, it sets him far ahead of his fellow GOP candidates as he seeks another term in the White House.
– Marina Pitofsky
Biden wins New Hampshire primary with write-in campaign
Joe Biden won the New Hampshire Democratic primary on Tuesday with an unprecedented write-in campaign led by party leaders in the state.
Biden’s victory comes despite the president not appearing on the ballot because of a dispute between national Democrats and the state over the date of the primary.
New Hampshire Democratic leaders waged an unprecedented grassroots write-in campaign to prevent the president from suffering an embarrassing defeat in the first-in-the-nation primary state – and it seems to have paid off. The president defeated major challengers including Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips and spiritual leader Marianne Williamson.
– Karissa Waddick
More: Why President Joe Biden is a write-in candidate on the 2024 New Hampshire primary ballot
New Hampshire fourth graders design beloved 'I voted' stickers
New Hampshire voters scored the latest political swag after they cast their ballot: "an I VOTED" stickers designed by the state's fourth graders.
Over 1,000 students from across the state submitted to be one of the 2024 stickers — the three winners included a hand-drawn design of the Granite State's cultural icon, the Old Man of the Mountain, against the American flag, a child-like drawing of a man-shaped like New Hampshire, and a moose admiring the autumn leaves with Mt. Washington in the background.
With an expected high voter turnout, more than 322,000 voters could be sporting stickers.
– Terry Moseley
Donald Trump watch party: Former president's supporters wait for results
At Donald Trump’s election night watch party in Nashua, New Hampshire, Dylan Quattrucci, 26, told USA TODAY he expects the former president to place first in New Hampshire.
“I think we're gonna see tonight, President Trump win by double digits,” said Quattruci, a resident of Concord, New Hampshire, who recently graduated law school. “And hopefully that gets Nikki Haley out of the race. So we can all focus Republican funds behind the guy who can help us save our country.”
But Steven Steiner, 63, said he suspects New Hampshire's famously skeptical undeclared voters - many of whom are supporting Haley - could tip the primary.
“That’s a question mark. We'll find out,” said Steiner, a realtor in Conway, New Hampshire.
– Sudiksha Kochi
Marjorie Taylor Greene issues warning to Nikki Haley: ‘After tonight, the primary will be over’
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., criticized Nikki Haley before polls closed in New Hampshire, targeting Haley's record as governor in South Carolina and accusing her of being “for foreign wars.”
“President Trump is not a new candidate. He was our president for four years. He has a record we can trust,” Greene said in a video shared on X, formerly Twitter.
The Georgia lawmaker added that “If Nikki Haley decides to drag this out to South Carolina, her political career will be over too.. at least what’s left of it.”
Haley is seeking to build momentum Tuesday heading into the primary in her home state next month. But it’s not clear New Hampshire Republicans will clear the way, with Trump holding a significant lead in polls in recent days.
– Marina Pitofsky
Polls close in New Hampshire
Most Granite State polls closed at 7 p.m. Eastern time, and polls are set to close statewide at 8 p.m. Eastern.
The coming hours will be tense as Granite State voters make their voices heard. Nikki Haley is trying to defeat Donald Trump – or come close enough to alter the sticky narrative that the former president is the runaway frontrunner.
While Joe Biden isn’t technically on the ballot due to a battle between the Democratic National Committee and New Hampshire officials, Democratic organizers are still hoping to deliver a victory for the president seeking a second term in office.
– Marina Pitofsky and Karissa Waddick
Trump and NH Republican Gov. Chris Sununu go at it on social media
Trump began primary day not by attacking Haley but by attacking her most prominent New Hampshire supporter, Gov. Chris Sununu, a fellow Republican.
Sununu responded by questioning Trump's age and mental capacity.
Trump started it with a Truth Social post that hit Fox News as well as Sununu: "Why does Fox keep putting New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu on??? Every time I mention his name at a Rally, they BOOO like crazy ... To have this loser on so much is really bad TV."
Over on X (formerly Twitter), Sununu responded: "I suppose it’s tough keeping up with the conversation given your advanced age. Maybe try subtitles next time. Thanks for watching."
To be continued.
? David Jackson
Young voters ho-hum about old candidates
Many youngsters in New Hampshire were voting in their first primary, but when they looked at some of their top options, none excited them.
Sure, the 52-year-old Haley brought a breath of fresh air, but polls indicate she's at best a longshot for the Republican nomination. The leading candidates in both parties, Biden and Trump, are 81 and 77, respectively, likely older than many of the new voters' grandparents.
"Both of them are too old," said Jacob Baldy, 24.
Winning the youth vote figures to be crucial in the general election, and if it's a Biden-Trump rematch, that may not come down to who's more appealing but rather less objectionable. Camden MacLean, 19, went to a Trump rally and was disheartened to notice the former president was more focused on attacking his enemies than explaining his policies.
"People are less concerned with finding solutions and more concerned with 'my way or the highway, my agenda or nothing else,'" MacLean said, referring both candidates.
Biden focuses on abortion rights supporters, union members
As Trump and Haley fight it out in the New Hampshire primary, Biden and the Democrats are counter-programming with events aimed at key constituencies: Abortion rights supporters and union members.
On Tuesday, Biden ? who's not on the ballot in New Hampshire ? joined Vice President Kamala Harris and other officials addressing a Virginia audience of "reproductive rights groups, members of Congress, and grassroots supporters," his campaign said.
However, the gathering did not go smoothly. Biden was interrupted about a dozen times by pro-Palestinian hecklers protesting his support of Israel's war in Gaza.
On Wednesday, as political professionals assess the New Hampshire results, Biden will address members of the United Auto Workers at its national Community Action Program conference in Washington, D.C. Biden is seeking the UAW's endorsement.
? David Jackson
Trump's defamation against writer moved to Thursday
One way or another, Trump will not give his day-after assessment of the New Hampshire primary from a courthouse in New York City.
The judge in writer E. Jean Carroll's defamation suit against Trump postponed proceedings scheduled for Wednesday, after the trial was delayed Monday when a juror took in sick.
The Carroll-Trump trial will now resume Thursday, and Trump is expected to testify.
? David Jackson
A push to protest war in Gaza with cease-fire vote
University of New Hampshire student Alexis Eaton said she had planned to vote for Democratic candidate Marianne Williamson in Tuesday's primary but changed her mind after learning about a movement to write in "cease-fire" instead.
“I think it’s going to send a message,” Eaton, 21, said before entering her polling place in the town of Durham, intent on following the recommendation of peace activists encouraging New Hampshire voters to press Biden for an immediate halt to Israel's military campaign in Gaza.
Tyler O’Connell, who graduated from UNH in May, said the conflict is an important issue, but she was planning to write in Biden's name.
“There’s a lot of unrest around Palestine and Israel and there have been so many calls for cease-fire that it seems like it’s gone unheard,” said O’Connell, 23. “I know for me personally that’s also something that I’ve been thinking about, but I think overall Biden is still the right person for the job.”
? Margie Cullen
Poll workers ready to hand-count Biden write-in votes
A team of 16 people will be hand-counting New Hampshire primary ballots after the polls close at Little Harbour School in Portsmouth, said Brian Wazlaw, moderator of one of the city's voting districts.The roster of poll workers was finalized far in advance as the movement to write-in Biden’s name on the Democratic presidential primary ballot gained traction.Portsmouth resident Julie Robb still supports Biden even though he declined to file for the New Hampshire primary or visit the state ahead of the vote after pushing for South Carolina to be moved to the top spot in the Democrats' primary schedule.
Robb clutched a handmade pencil decoration outside the school reading, “Democracy is the Point!”“We’re exercising our voice. (It’s) just because of political strategies,” she said in reference to Biden not appearing on the primary ballot in New Hampshire. “But we still have a voice. We have a vote. We three are being proactive in supporting Biden. ''
? Ian Lenahan
Trump's VP pick could become next news for GOP
Trump has won just 20 of the 1,215 delegates needed to claim the Republican nomination, yet the primary process could quickly become a forum for politicians eyeing the vice president spot on a Trump ticket. The betting sites are already watching the scramble.
Oddschecker lists the top five candidates as South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, former secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson and Haley.
Trump, Biden supporters getting along in Salem
Gary Karibian, 44, and Bobby Sharon, 59, stood outside a polling place in Salem, braving the cold together. They have their differences: Karibian is holding a Biden sign while Sharon, a Trump supporter, is waving a sign that reads “Make America Great Again.”
But that doesn’t mean they don’t chat every once in a while.
“We’re all Americans,” said Karibian, a federal government employee based in Salem. “We might have different views on things but it’s nice to see ... we can all get along. We’re all Americans. We’re all trying to do what’s best for the country.”
Sharon, a retired business owner, said while he and Karibian discussed their political differences, they’ve been discovering areas where they agree. “I love people,” Sharon said.
? Sudiksha Kochi
Trump expects Haley to drop out. Haley: This isn't a coronation.
Trump said at a rally Monday that he expected Haley to drop out of the race Tuesday. Haley doesn't want to hear it. “I don’t care how much you all want to coronate Donald Trump," Haley said Tuesday on Fox and Friends. "At the end of the day, that’s not what Americans want. Americans want a choice.“
Haley says 70% of Americans don't want a Trump-Biden rematch and both are saddled with high disapproval ratings. Next up on the primary list is South Carolina, her home state, and she says she is already buying campaign ads. Her recurring theme: “This has always been a marathon. It’s never been a sprint.”
At a polling station stop in Londonderry, Trump greeted cheering supporters, predicted victory and professed a lack of concern about Haley's campaign future.
"I don't care if she stays in," Trump told reporters during the stop. "Let her do whatever she wants. It doesn't matter."
Voter in Atkinson says Trump is 'the only guy who can do the job'
Voters gathered inside the Atkinson Community Center as early as 7 a.m. in Atkinson, about 25 miles southeast of Manchester. Joel Winslow, 54, said he voted for Trump because “he’s the only guy who can do the job.”
“Everybody else has been in government for so long, the same stuff keeps happening and happening,” said Winslow, an electrician. Winslow said he admires the former president because he “hasn’t been in government forever” and serves the people.
“With all the punches he gets thrown, with all the cases that get thrown into court, the guy just keeps coming back,” Winslow said. “And a guy with his stature and his money, why would he want to put himself through that? So I really think he’s for the people.”
Dean Olsen, 62, also voted for Trump because of his border, economic and other policies. Olsen said the cost of groceries and gas have risen sharply under the Biden administration and the impacts have been significant on his family.
? Sudiksha Kochi
Haley takes shot at Trump's age (he's 77, she's 52)
Haley, 52, attacked Trump’s age while visiting the polls in Hampton with Gov. Chris Sununu on Tuesday. She said Trump is “mentally fit,” but she said voters need to ask whether they want “two 80-year-olds” in Trump and Biden on the ticket in November. Trump is 77.
“When you’ve got a country in disarray and a world on fire the way we do,” Haley said, “you need someone at the top of their game that can put in eight years and get things back on track.”
It's the latest in a series of shots Haley has taken at Trump's age. At a rally last week Trump repeatedly appeared to confuse Haley with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, drawing a warning to voters from Haley that Trump's "mental stability" would continue to decline.
? Max Sullivan
A primer on primaries and caucuses
The 2024 election season kicked off with a frost-bitten start as Iowa Republicans headed to their caucus in freezing weather. Trump cruised to a notably early and wide victory, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis narrowly edged out Haley for second place. Now DeSantis is gone and the focus is on New Hampshire, which conducts a primary. But what makes a caucus different from a primary? And how does a primary end up ultimately factoring into the general election?
USA TODAY is answering all your questions about how the country votes and why it matters. All you need to know is here.
? Anna Kaufman
DeSantis says Florida taxpayers won't pay Trump legal bills
The detente between Trump and DeSantis, who dropped out of the race Sunday and endorsed Trump, might not last very long. DeSantis has threatened to veto any effort by Florida lawmakers to have the state bankroll Trump's legal bills. On the social media site X (formerly Twitter), DeSantis re-posted a Politico story headlined "Some Florida Republicans want taxpayers to pay Trump's legal bills."
DeSantis commented: "But not the Florida Republican who wields the veto pen…"Trump, who has said nice things about DeSantis since he dropped out of the presidential race, has not commented on the potential flap.
? David Jackson
Dixville Notch is all about Nikki Haley
The polls say Haley is a long shot, but she got off to a flying start when the six registered voters of Dixville Notch cast their ballots for her. The resort town with the tiny population historically makes a big splash by opening its polls at midnight, the first place in the nation to vote, count and announce its results in presidential primaries. As usual, the handful of voters were greeted by an overwhelming number of reporters from around the world.
Les Otten, owner of the Balsams Resort that served as the polling location, was excited to cast his ballot.
“It’s what ought to happen in every community in the United States, where there is 100% participation, everybody votes," Otten said. "None of the six of us can complain about the outcome of the election, because we’ve participated.”
Haley was appreciative, posting on social media "A great start to a great day in New Hampshire. Thank you Dixville Notch!"
Which Republicans are still running for president? Ryan Binkley, Nikki Haley and Donald Trump
After entrepreneur Ramaswamy, DeSantis and a bevy of other GOP nomination hopefuls dropped out of the Republican primary, three candidates were left Tuesday.
Trump, Haley and the much lesser known businessman and pastor Ryan Binkley are still in the running.
Looking for more information? You can catch up with the USA TODAY Network's voter guides for everything you need to know about the Republican, Democratic and third-party candidates.
– Marina Pitofsky
Can Nikki Haley win New Hampshire?
The odds aren’t in her favor. Trump led Haley 55% to 36% in a Suffolk University/Boston Globe/NBC-10 tracking poll conducted in the state Jan. 18-19. And DeSantis’ exit from the 2024 primary may bolster Trump’s lead. Nearly 60% of the Florida governor’s likely voters said Trump was their second choice in the poll.
Haley’s campaign, however, is hoping that DeSantis’ exit will give her a boost with undecided anti-Trump voters in the final hours before New Hampshire's primary.
– Karissa Waddick
When do polls close in New Hampshire?
Polling times vary by town and city in New Hampshire. Most are open from 7 or 8 a.m. to 7 or 8 p.m., but some, like Hebron, don’t open until as late as 11 a.m. If you're a New Hampshire resident, you can check your polling place to find out the exact time your location opens and closes.
– Margie Cullen
DeSantis' withdrawal reshapes New Hampshire's GOP race
New Hampshire's Republican primary shifted this week when DeSantis dropped out of the GOP race after his loss in the Iowa Caucuses. The Florida governor immediately endorsed Trump, but some of Haley's supporters in New Hampshire have argued that won't matter in the Granite State.
The former South Carolina governor has long sought to build a broad coalition, sometimes fueled by moderate, anti-Trump Republicans. The question remains: Will those voters propel Haley to her first 2024 win, or will Trump quickly claim victory in New Hampshire?
– Karissa Waddick, Marina Pitofsky
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New Hampshire primary replay: Trump wins; Haley isn't quitting
