Donald Trump is projected to win the New Hampshire primary, according to The Associated Press, tightening his grip on the Republican presidential nomination and bolstering the likelihood of a rematch later this year against U.S. President Joe Biden.
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The result was a setback for former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, who invested significant time and financial resources into winning the state but finished second.
Trump's allies ramped up pressure on Haley to leave the race before the polls had closed, but Haley vowed after the results were announced to continue her campaign.
Speaking to supporters, she intensified her criticism of the former president, questioning his mental acuity and pitching herself as a unifying candidate who would usher in generational change.
"This race is far from over. There are dozens of states left to go," Haley said, while some in the crowd cried, "It's not over!"
She was the last major challenger in the race after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ended his presidential bid over the weekend, allowing her to campaign as the sole alternative to Trump.
At his own party in Nashua, Trump opened his speech by mocking Haley, calling her an "imposter" and saying, "She's doing, like, a speech like she won. She didn't win. She lost. ... She had a very bad night."
As of 11 p.m. ET, Trump had won 54.6 percent of the vote, according to Edison Research, while Haley received 43.5 percent. It was much narrower margin than Trump's victory a week ago in the Iowa caucuses, when he won by a historic margin over second-place DeSantis and third-place Haley.
Trump can now boast of being the first Republican presidential candidate to win open races in Iowa and New Hampshire since both states began leading the election calendar in 1976, a striking sign of how rapidly Republicans have rallied around him to make him their nominee for the third. consecutive time.
By posting easy wins in both early states, Trump is demonstrating an ability to unite the Republicans' factions firmly behind him.
He's garnered support from the evangelical conservatives who are influential in Iowa and New Hampshire's more moderate voters, strength he hopes to replicate as the primary quickly expands to the rest of the U.S. Haley was unable to capitalize on New Hampshire's more moderate political tradition.
Now, her path to becoming the Republican standard-bearer is narrowing quickly. She won't compete in a contest that awards delegates until South Carolina's Feb. 24 Republican primaries.
As the state's former governor, she's hoping a strong showing there could propel her into the March 5 Super Tuesday contests.