11 months ago
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu intends to endorse Nikki Haley for president on Tuesday night, according to a source familiar with the plans and granted anonymity to speak freely.
Sununu is scheduled to appear with Haley at a town hall on Tuesday in Manchester. His endorsement would lend a major boost to the former South Carolina governor in the first primary state.
"I look forward to joining Nikki at her town hall this evening — it's going to be a lot of fun!" the governor said in a statement through his office, which declined to confirm the endorsement. WMUR first reported Sununu’s plans.
Sununu was previously scheduled to appear at a Massachusetts GOP fundraiser in Boston on Tuesday night, but had pulled out of the event last week.
Haley has been rising in polls of the Granite State, surging through the fall into second place behind Donald Trump. Though she remains far behind the former president there, the support of the state’s popular governor could carry significant weight with more moderate Republicans and independents who can vote in the GOP primary.
Sununu, a vocal Trump critic, now appears to be encouraging like-minded voters to coalesce behind Haley. Over the past few months, he’s lauded her foreign policy credentials as a former ambassador to the United Nations. And he’s praised her dedication to retail politics in a state where voters have historically demanded one-on-one interactions with potential presidents.
“Nikki’s done a great job. She’s been really pounding the pavement in terms of going to various parts of the state, talking to folks, letting them ask her questions,” Sununu told reporters shortly before Thanksgiving. “Her message seems to resonate.”
Haley made no secret of how crucial she felt Sununu’s support could be to her campaign. She twice put him on the spot — in a joking manner — for his endorsement during a day of campaigning together in November.
Sununu — who chose Haley over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie — has pledged to put “110 percent” behind his chosen candidate in the run-up to the state’s Jan. 23 primary. In endorsing Haley, Sununu is also breaking with fellow early state Gov. Kim Reynolds of Iowa, who is supporting DeSantis.
New Hampshire has become increasingly important to Haley’s campaign, as recent Iowa polls show her stuck in third place behind DeSantis and Trump. A strong showing in New Hampshire, could give her a boost heading into her home state’s primary in late February, where polls show the former president is also leading by a yawning margin.
Natalie Allison and Sally Goldenberg contributed to this report.
English (US)