Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley lost the New Hampshire primary by 11%.
She had earlier come in third in the Iowa caucuses behind Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. But DeSantis, not she, dropped out of the race and endorsed front runner Donald Trump.
By contrast, Haley confidently announced that at last there was a two-person, head-to-head race. So she confidently headed to New Hampshire.
Her supporters outspent all the candidates in Iowa and would do so again in New Hampshire. Haley consolidated the Never-Trump voters, won independents and crossover Democrats, and garnered millions from the donor class exasperated at the thought of a third Trump candidacy.
Moreover, nearly half of those who voted in the Republican primary were not themselves Republicans. New Hampshire was the most Haley-friendly primary in the entire campaign season.