Indian origin Nikki Haley’s bid for US president has got a major boost with latest endorsement from New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu.
Sununu made the announcement at a town hall with Haley in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Tuesday evening. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, he called her “the candidate with the momentum to win and get our party back on track to delivering conservative victories across the country.”
Highly Coveted endorsement to give Haley an edge over othersX
The highly coveted endorsement is likely to help Haley, who is trying to erode a nearly 30-point Trump advantage before the state’s Jan. 23 primary. The endorsement holds value as New Hampshire will hold the first primary and second overall contest in the Republican presidential nominating calendar.
“So thankful that the Live Free or Die governor is on our team—it doesn’t get any more rock-solid than this! Thank you @ChrisSununufor your support and friendship. We’re 42 days until the primary—let’s make history!”, an ecstatic Haley posted on X.
Haley has risen in the polls and seen increased enthusiasm from donors, including many prominent Wall Street executives, following a series of strong debate performances. Experts believe the endorsement could potentially sway some Republican voters, independents and moderates who often play an influential role in New Hampshire’s crucial presidential primary.
‘It’s a game-changing endorsement’
“It is always questionable whether endorsements matter but in this case, this is a game-changing endorsement,” Neil Levesque, the executive director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College told Fox News.
Several high profile sponsors are backing Nikki Haley’s bid
Chris Sununu has joined the list of high-profile sponsors who are standing behind Nikki Haley’s presidential bid. Other bog names include – billionaire investor Bill Ackman, JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s Jamie Dimon, Koch network and LinkedIn Corp. co-founder Reid Hoffman who donated $250,000.
72 Iowans have also come out to endorse her. It includes names like- former political operatives such as David Oman, who served as chief of staff for former governors Robert Ray and Terry Branstad. Also endorsing are Doug Gross, a lawyer and former Branstad chief of staff, and Christine Hensley, who was the longest-serving member of the Des Moines City Council.
However, the polls do not reveal a good picture for Haley, who is still well behind the former president in New Hampshire by 27 percentage points.
Sununu feels his endorsement might move the needle in the Granite State, he told Fox News earlier, “I’m never a big believer that endorsements matter as much as the press think they do.”
On Tuesday, after backing Haley, he said, “It’s not just about my endorsement, but I think some of the news and media that the endorsement kicks off gets people excited to look in this direction.”