More people cast votes in Tuesday’s contest between former US President Donald Trump and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley than in any previous presidential primary of either party in New Hampshire’s history, The Associated Press reports.
As of the latest vote tally on Wednesday afternoon, nearly 318,000 State Republicans and independents cast votes in the first-in-the-nation primary, exceeding the previous record set in the 2020 Democratic primary, where more than 298,000 Democrats and independents decided a close contest between US Sen. Bernie Sanders of neighboring Vermont, former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg of Indiana and a crowded field.
AP estimates the total turnout in this year’s Republican primary will be approximately 330,000.
The 2016 primaries, the last time neither party had an incumbent president running for reelection, had the highest combined turnout in the state’s history, with about 539,000 heading to the polls. Tuesday’s primary currently ranks fourth in combined turnout.
Trump holds the distinction of receiving the most votes ever in a New Hampshire presidential primary, with about 173,000 votes as of Wednesday morning. Sanders held the previous record with about 152,000 votes received in 2016.
Trump won Tuesday’s contest after winning the Iowa caucuses last week, marking the first time in the modern primary era that the same candidate has won both the Iowa and New Hampshire Republican contests.
Trump received an endorsement on Sunday from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, after DeSantis dropped out of the Republican race in the wake of a poor showing in Iowa.
Despite the results in New Hampshire, Haley clarified she has no intention of stepping down.
“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,” she declared.
Trump later took jabs at Haley as he celebrated his victory in New Hampshire, telling supporters the she "had a very bad night."
"She did very poorly actually," he said. "The governor said she's going to win, she's going to win, she's going to win. Then she failed badly."