New Hampshire Primary

In the remote town of Dixville Notch resides a tradition unlike any other in modern elections. As the clock strikes midnight the six registered voters of Dixville Notch cast their votes for President of the United States. In this presidential primary, former governor of South Carolina and United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley gained all six votes. This six-vote margin was the only lead she would hold for the rest of the primary. Former President Donald J. Trump won the New Hampshire primary with approximately 54.4% of the vote, and Haley carried 43.3%. The other votes were dispersed amongst candidates whose campaigns have been suspended.

Though the margin was over ten percent, higher than her campaign would have appreciated, Haley seemed unfazed by the loss. With chants of, “Nikki, Nikki, Nikki”, in the background Haley addressed her crowd after polls closed. The key remark she made was, “New Hampshire is first in the nation. It is not the last in the nation. This race is far from over. There are dozens of states left to go, and the next one is my sweet state of South Carolina.”

It will be an uphill battle for Haley in South Carolina. A recent poll shows her thirty points (percent) behind Trump in her home state. But her campaign remains undaunted. However, with the endorsements of Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina and current Governor of South Carolina Henry McMaster, Trump is far and away the frontrunner.

Even more striking than the nominations Trump has received is the realization by both parties that the former President is on the fast track to gaining the Republican nomination. President Biden released a statement that said, “It is now clear that Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee. And my message to the country is the stakes could not be higher. Our democracy. Our freedoms — from the right to choose to the right to vote. Our economy — which has seen the strongest recovery in the world since COVID. All are at stake.”

On the Democratic ticket, President Biden won by over thirty-six percent of the vote. A write-in movement was mounted in New Hampshire after Biden didn’t enter his name into the primary. With his main challenger Dean Phillips taking just under twenty percent of the vote it appears that the current President is on his way to another nomination.

If the two presumptive nominees and political rivals face off once again, recent polling shows Trump having a narrow lead. A recent poll of 1,497 registered voters, done by YouGov, shows President Trump leading with forty-four percent of the vote, and President Biden is one point behind with forty-three percent of the vote. Other polls show Trump ahead by two to five percent of the vote.

All in all, election season is heating up and the stakes have never been higher. Will new faces emerge throughout the season, a rematch that brings back some of our darkest times as a nation, or something unexpected? We’ll find out, but for now, onto South Carolina.

Sources

SAM OSTROW

Former Writer at The City Voice | 4th in the Nation for Junior High Story of the Year | MIPA Honorable Mention Award Winner

Hi! My name is Sam Ostrow and I am a Junior at City High School. This is my fourth year writing for The City Voice. I enjoy sports, debate, and playing guitar. If you have any questions about my articles, feel free to email me at ostrow-s@students.grps.org