CLAREMONT, N.H. (WCAX) – Donald Trump has long been the front-runner for the GOP nomination. Monday’s decisive victory in Iowa, with 51% of the vote, solidified his spot at the top of the pack heading into New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary.
Trump’s victory speech after the Iowa Caucuses was a welcome sight to Trump supporters in the Granite State.
“I am looking forward to seeing our numbers in New Hampshire be very similar to the outcomes. I think President Trump will do exceptionally well in New Hampshire,” said Jonathan Stone, a state representative from Claremont.
Experts say the win in Iowa gives Trump a big boost heading into New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary next Tuesday. “This is a big win by a wide margin. Gives him momentum and his opposition remains fractured,” said John Lappie, a politics professor at Plymouth State University.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was a distant second. Lappie says Iowa sent a message — despite ongoing indictments and court appearances — that the GOP still backs Trump. He says that partially because Trump has been able to seize on a growing mistrust of the government. “This is a trend that has been happening for a while with people losing trust in institutions that make people more prone to believe things like, oh the judiciary is simply rigged against Donald Trump or that the election was stolen from Donald Trump,” Lappie said.
While Nikki Haley finished 3rd in Iowa, she’s been surging in New Hampshire, a state where Lappie says she needs a strong showing. “If somebody, most likely Haley is going to have any chance to prevent a Trump nomination, it’s really New Hampshire or bust at this point,” he said.
A Trump nomination is in the cards, according to Stone, who says the GOP as a whole will ultimately rally around him. “I think the party will come together and I think they have to come together,” he said.
The Republican field will be smaller heading into New Hampshire’s primary. Both Asa Hutchinson and Vivek Ramaswamy have suspended their campaigns after Iowa. Ramaswamy, who placed 4th in Monday’s contest, has already thrown his support to Trump.
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