The race for the Republican nominee is now down to the first two major competitors, former President Donald Trump and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
Haley and Trump, who were the first to launch their campaigns for the Republican nominee, now find themselves in a race of two on the eve of the New Hampshire primary.
On Sunday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis decided to drop out of the race after support for his campaign stagnated and even fall while Haley continued to pick up momentum.
DeSantis finished second in the Iowa Caucus, but shared with his followers on Sunday that he didn’t see a path forward to victory.
“If there was anything I could do to produce a favorable outcome, more campaign stops, more interviews, I would do it, but I can’t ask our supporters to volunteer their time and donate their resources if we don’t have a clear path to victory. Accordingly, I am today suspending my campaign,” DeSantis said.
Surprisingly, DeSantis decided to throw his support to Trump instead of Haley. DeSantis said that Haley was a Republican of the past that America needed to move on from.
The decision from the Florida governor is sure to shake up the remaining months of the race for the nominee.
New Hampshire holds the next primary, and, in the state, Trump maintains a much smaller lead over Haley than he did in Iowa.
But now, with DeSantis and other candidates dropping out, including former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, their supporters are expected to go to either Trump or Haley.
In the latest poll from the state, completed by CNN and the University of New Hampshire, Trump maintains an 11-point lead over Haley (50%-39%).
That is a jump from a poll conducted earlier in January that saw Trump lead Haley by 39% to 32%.
The extra support for Trump has come from the Republicans who decided to ditch their Trump alternatives and return to the former President’s camp.
However, for Haley to make a move and position herself to win the nomination she will need a strong showing in New Hampshire.