Nikki Haley, the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, is dominating the Republican nomination campaign in New Hampshire by outspending her opponents significantly. An analysis conducted by The Epoch Times of Federal Communications Commission disclosures on television advertisements in the Boston, Portland, and Burlington areas revealed that leading GOP candidates have collectively spent more than $7 million as of November for ads broadcasting up to the Jan. 23 primary in New Hampshire.
The importance of the upcoming New Hampshire primary cannot be overstated, especially after the GOP’s Iowa Caucus on Jan. 15. The latest CBS News and YouGov plc poll conducted between Dec. 8 and Dec. 15 indicates that former President Donald Trump is leading with 44 percent of likely voters’ support. In second place is Ms. Haley with 29 percent, followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis with 11 percent, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie with 10 percent, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy with 5 percent.
Driven by her recent surge in national polling and significant endorsements from political donors, Ms. Haley has made a substantial investment in the Boston, Portland, and Burlington-Plattsburgh areas. Her campaign has spent over $4.3 million in New Hampshire, with more than $3.8 million directed towards Boston stations. The spending is mainly attributed to her hybrid political action committee, SFA Fund Inc., which has been advertising in the market since August.
Despite Ms. Haley’s impressive rise in New Hampshire polls, former President Trump is still leading in both state and national polls. However, his campaign is not resting on its laurels, and it remains the second biggest spender in New England. On the other hand, Mr. DeSantis, who was once polling as high as 39 percent in New Hampshire in June, has scaled back ad spending in the region, while Mr. Christie, the smallest spender among candidates, has focused his efforts on the state.
In comparison, the Ramaswamy campaign has not purchased any TV ads in New Hampshire markets and is instead concentrating on personally connecting with voters in Iowa. Despite hitting 13 percent in a CNN and University of New Hampshire poll in September, Mr. Ramaswamy’s support has not remained consistent or impactful. With the primary drawing near, these candidates will continue to make critical decisions regarding their campaigning strategies and investments in New Hampshire.
