Trump seeks a big victory, Haley tries to stop him as New Hampshire votes
By Gram Slattery, James Oliphant and Nathan Layne
MANCHESTER, New Hampshire (Reuters) -Voters in New Hampshire were choosing whether to give Donald Trump a smooth glide to the Republican presidential nomination or bolster rival Nikki Haley's longshot bid to topple him on Tuesday in a pivotal primary election.
The former U.S. president and the former South Carolina governor made their final pitches to voters in what became a two-person race after Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor once seen as the party's best bet to take on Trump, dropped out and endorsed Trump.
Polls show Trump with a wide lead over Haley, who needs a victory or a strong second place showing in New Hampshire to carry her to the next nominating contest in her home state of South Carolina, where Trump is also dominant in the polls.
Trump had a record-setting victory in Iowa's first-in-the-nation contest last week.
A resounding win in New Hampshire would help propel Trump to secure the party's nomination despite multiple criminal counts against him, two impeachments and his chaotic 2017-2021 presidency.
The Republican nominee will face President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, in the general election in November.
Trump, who is balancing campaign stops with appearances in various courts, denies wrongdoing and has used the criminal charges to bolster his claim of political persecution.
He predicted victory in New Hampshire, a state with 1.3 million mostly white residents, in a social media post early on Tuesday.
«The corrupt Washington Swamp has done everything in its power to take away your voice — but on Tuesday, I believe New Hampshire is going to speak LOUD AND CLEAR,» Trump said.
The first ballots in New Hampshire, however, went to
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