The competition amongst Republican candidates is looking rather scarce at this point in the 2024 presidential race, especially as compared to years past. Only two major Republican candidates remain: Former President Donald J. Trump and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley.
Trump won the GOP New Hampshire primary earlier last week, leaving Haley behind by more than 36,000 votes. Back in 2016, eight major candidates were competing in the GOP New Hampshire primary election. Of the eight candidates, five received upwards of 30,000 votes each.
According to a report published by USA Today, in February 2016, the Saint Anselm College GOP debate, which occurred just three days before the New Hampshire primary, still had about seven candidates. The day before the 2024 New Hampshire primary, only two candidates remained actively in the race.
Matters look a bit different when a presidential incumbent runs for reelection. The number of trends for the incumbent’s political party run especially low. For example, during the 2012 primaries, former President Barack Obama was the only major candidate on the Democratic primary ballot for New Hampshire. When former President Trump was running for reelection in 2020, only one other candidate earned 1% of the vote during these same New Hampshire primaries.
This year in New Hampshire, the Republican primary ballot listed twenty-four candidates, even including the names of those who had previously dropped out of the race, such as Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, Vivek Ramaswamy, Asa Hutchinson, and more. The overcrowded ballot was a result of minimal filing requirements. Those who had wanted to appear on the ballot were made to submit a Declaration of Candidacy, as well as pay a $1,000 filing fee.
Trump’s victory in New Hampshire underscores how the former president remains the favorable candidate by the Republican party. However, even after her loss in New Hampshire, Haley has made it clear that she has no intentions of dropping out of the race. The next caucus is set to take place in February in Nevada, followed by a primary on February 24, 2024 in Haley’s home state of South Carolina.
