NASHUA, N.H. (AP) – Donald Trump, under pressure to score his first electoral win, set his hopes on New Hampshire Tuesday as voters began flooding polling stations across the state in the nation’s first primary. His rivals placed high hopes in a strong second-place finish, looking to break out from the pack and ensure the survival of their campaigns.
Stung from a second-place finish in Iowa last week, Trump is hoping to translate his commanding lead in the polls into a decisive win to prove his unorthodox campaign can translate large crowds at raucous rallies into votes.
“I feel good. We had a great night and it was an amazing event in a snow storm, in a blizzard, so, I feel very good,” Trump said Tuesday on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, sounding confident in his chances after drawing thousands to a get-out-the-vote rally in Manchester on Monday night.
For the rest of the Republican field, Tuesday’s results will shed light on which of the more establishment-friendly candidates could advance to later contests, including Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Ohio’s John Kasich and Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey. Rubio had arrived to New Hampshire with a burst of momentum following his better-than-expected third place finish in Iowa last week, but a shaky debate performance Saturday sparked criticism from his rivals that the 44-year old freshman senator lacks the experience needed to lead the nation.
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, coming off a strong victory in Iowa, has not polled as well in New Hampshire – his rivals seeing that as an opportunity to try to cap his momentum in the second nomination contest.