Signs NIkki Haley is seeing a surge of support in NH

Sep. 6—MERRIMACK — Melinda Tourangeau of Milford, an Air Force Desert Storm veteran, believes Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is surging after spending the last five months volunteering for her.

"There is an energy here that she is creating through her narrative and her prose. I haven't been this impressed with a presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan," Tourangeau said during an interview.

"Her stances on every critical policy are rational and grounded which is an approach that's catching on all over the state. I feel it."

After making nearly 50 campaign stops here, Haley is starting to see the returns with a new poll earlier this week putting her tied for second place with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis with 10% apiece to 48% for former President Donald Trump.

Haley is a former governor of South Carolina and ex-ambassador to the United Nations.

Her husband, Michael, began last June a yearlong deployment in Africa for the South Carolina Army National Guard.

A Super PAC backing Haley put up an ad in New Hampshire and Iowa on Wednesday, quoting unnamed officials in the Biden campaign suggesting her nomination would worry them the most.

Haley had to walk the tightrope Wednesday when a voter at a packed town hall forum at the Merrimack VFW Post 8641 here asked if, upon winning the 2024 nomination, would she consider naming Trump as her running mate.

She recalled telephoning the president after the disastrous midterms for Republicans to let Trump know she was "in it to win it."

"Will I consider him? Sure I could consider him. I don't think he would ever take the vice presidency, but everybody is on the table when it comes to that," Haley said.

On Wednesday night, Haley appeared in Manchester with Tiffany Justice, a co-founder of Moms for Liberty to promote parental rights in public schools.

The two appeared earlier Wednesday on the Fox and Friends program.

Haley was one of the first to come to the group's defense when the liberal Southern Poverty Law Center labeled it an "extremist group."

"Count me in as one of them," Haley told WMUR. "As a mom, I know how important it is for parents to have all the information for their children to be successful."

Haley sharply criticized the actions of the school board in Manchester.

A judge struck down a mother's lawsuit against a non-disclosure policy in Manchester schools regarding information provided to parents about the transgender views of their children. The case is on appeal to the Supreme Court.

A Democratic Party spokesperson condemned the group and Haley's support for it.

"It comes as no surprise that Nikki Haley is debuting her extreme education agenda standing shoulder to shoulder with an anti-freedom group hell bent on erasing history and banning books across the country," Aida Ross said in a statement.

"Haley has been all for attacking public education and pushing toxic culture wars throughout her career, even railing against providing more education funding for South Carolina schools as governor."

Former House Deputy Speaker Kim Rice, R-Hudson, said Haley's strong performance during the first debate is bringing out voters willing to consider her candidacy.

"I keep telling people, 'Take your eye off the shiny object out there,' the guy (Trump) making ridiculous claims and wild statements' and focus on who you think can be the next president we can all be proud of. Nikki Haley is that person," Rice said.

Kim Stillwell is a registered Democrat who lives in Cape Coral, Florida, but also has a home in Barnstead.

Stillwell did not commit to changing her party affiliation to vote for Haley, but said she has many independent and Republican friends that she will speak to after seeing Haley in person.

"I'm looking her up, this is a very impressive person," Stillwell said.

Mary Mayville, a retired colonel with the U.S. Air Force and former Merrimack state legislator, said Haley has the "four C's, courage, character, competence and communication skills."

"Nikki? Hell yes, she would be a great leader for this country," Mayville said.

Gov. Chris Sununu introduced Haley after the two held a private lunch.

"She has done 40-to-50 events already, all 10 counties, that is exactly how you make the case to voters in New Hampshire," Sununu said. "Retail politics turns into good retail management.

"Governor, ambassador, you have earned every title to say the least."

Mike Burns of Bedford, an employee with a regional CPA firm, is backing Haley.

"She is the real deal; the rest are a bunch of phonies," Burns said.

Alan Glassman is treasurer of the Republican State Committee and neutral in this race but the accomplished photographer goes to many events and agrees Haley appears to be on the move.

"There seems to be a level of excitement around her," Glassman added.

klandrigan@unionleader.com