Haley gains on Trump in latest New Hampshire poll

GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley is gaining some momentum on former President Trump among New Hampshire Republican voters, though Trump still holds a strong lead in the early nominating contest.

The latest CBS News/YouGov poll released Sunday found Haley has emerged as a top alternative to the former president, consolidating much of the non-Trump vote. Among likely GOP primary voters, 29 percent say they would vote for the former South Carolina governor, putting her 15 points behind Trump.

Eleven percent say they would vote for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and 10 percent say they would vote for former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. No other candidate received more than 10 percent.

Regarding who can beat President Biden, 51 percent of voters said Trump would “definitely” do so, while 32 percent said the same for Haley — underscoring just how strong of a hold the former president has on Republicans.

The poll also gauged how New Hampshire GOP voters felt toward each candidate.

Haley is overwhelmingly seen as the most likable, receiving 55 percent of the vote. DeSantis falls in second, holding 37 percent of the vote, while Trump and Vivek Ramaswamy are tied for third, holding 36 percent of the vote.

A majority of voters also said Haley is the most reasonable of the candidates; 51 percent voted for the former U.N. ambassador, while 37 percent said DeSantis was the most reasonable. Trump falls in third with 36 percent.

Despite Haley’s likeability, Trump is seen as more prepared — but only by 1 point. The poll found that 54 percent say Trump seems the most prepared, while 53 percent named Haley. DeSantis was third, holding 44 percent of the vote.

However, almost 70 percent see Trump as a strong leader, while 45 percent say that of DeSantis and 41 percent said they see Haley as a strong leader.

The survey was conducted Dec. 8-15 on a representative sample of 855 registered voters in New Hampshire. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 5.5 points.