Nikki Haley, second to Donald Trump in NH, trails by 14 points in new poll

MANCHESTER, N.H. – With less than two weeks until the New Hampshire primary, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley's momentum in the pivotal state may be slowing down, according to a new poll.

The survey, published by the Saint Anselm College Survey Center Thursday and conducted between Jan. 8 and Jan. 9, found 31% of likely Republican primary voters would support Haley, compared to 45% who would back former President Donald Trump. That’s a mere one-point increase for each candidate since the same poll was conducted in December.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who dropped out of the race Wednesday, trailed behind in a distant third place at 9%. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy each tallied 6% support.

Haley's has seen rocketing support in the Granite State in recent months, bolstered by her strong debate performances and endorsements, including from popular New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu. But the new survey throws into question how much ground the former United Nations ambassador can make up in her bid to topple Trump in the final days before the state's Jan. 23 primary.

“After a remarkable climb through the summer and fall, former Ambassador Nikki Haley seems to have leveled off and remains somewhat short of catching former President Donald Trump," said Neil Levesque, executive director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at the college.

Of course, Christie's unexpected exit from the race could provide hope for the Haley campaign. For months, polls have shown the two candidates splitting the moderate and anti-Trump votes in the state. Haley now has the chance to consolidate those supporters.

"Haley wins voters that dislike Trump, while DeSantis and Ramaswamy appeal to voters that like the former president. 78% of Haley supporters and 100% of Christie supporters have an unfavorable impression of Trump," Levesque said. "As a result, Christie supporters looking for a new candidate will likely find more common ground with Haley.”'

The poll is based on online survey responses from 1,194 likely New Hampshire Republican primary voters and has a margin of error of +/- 2.8%.

Two polls published earlier this week painted differing portraits of the status of the first-in-the-nation primary. A CNN and University of New Hampshire survey showed Trump with 39% support and Haley with 32% support. And a USA TODAY/Boston Globe/Suffolk University poll found Trump leading Haley 46%-26%.

The common thread: Trump is leading, and Haley has ground to make up.

Contributing: Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY