Former President Donald Trump’s lead in the Republican presidential primary is decreasing in New Hampshire but remains strong in Iowa, according to a new poll published Sunday.
The CBS News poll surveyed Republicans in the two states with the earliest primary voting dates. The former president leads in the New Hampshire poll by 15% and the Iowa poll by 36%.
Nikki Haley, the former ambassador to the United Nations, clocked 29% support in the New Hampshire poll behind Trump’s 44%. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu endorsed Haley for president last week, as reported by The Dallas Express.
The Iowa poll shows Trump with a strong majority of the prospective vote at 58%, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in second at 22%.
Iowa’s Republican caucus is scheduled for January 15. New Hampshire’s primary will be on January 23.
The New Hampshire poll showed Haley gaining support due to her likability. The survey found 55% of respondents describing her as likable, which beat out each of her opponents, with DeSantis coming in second at 37%. She also ranked first among respondents in terms of being described as “reasonable.”
Most New Hampshire respondents in the poll still believe Trump can “definitely” defeat President Joe Biden in the upcoming general election. Haley ranked second, with 32% of respondents expressing confidence in her potential matchup with Biden.
New Hampshire has a significant population of independent and moderate voters, while Iowa has been a Republican stronghold in recent elections.
The poll found that 91% of likely Republican voters in Iowa want the GOP nominee for president to ban “medical procedures changing child’s gender,” while New Hampshire logged 77% support among such voters.
On the subject of abortion, 74% of Iowa Republicans want to make it illegal in all or most cases, while only 43% of Republicans in New Hampshire would choose to make it so.
