New Hampshire

Chris Christie poses a major threat to Nikki Haley in New Hampshire

Published

11 months ago

December 21, 2023

Chris Christie poses a major threat to Nikki Haley in New Hampshire

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s quixotic quest to deny former President Donald Trump the GOP 2024 nomination could end up dragging down another primary rival — former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley.

Christie has centered his campaign on two central components. The first is holding Trump accountable for his record while in office, and the second is winning the New Hampshire primary, or at least performing well enough to prove he has a viable campaign.

NIKKI HALEY’S 2024 CAMPAIGN MOMENTUM UNDER NEW SPOTLIGHT IN IOWA CAUCUSES

But with a little over a month until the Jan. 23 New Hampshire, Christie severely lags behind Trump in New Hampshire. And his campaign could instead endanger Haley, whose campaign has surged in polls and recently won the coveted backing of Gov. Chris Sununu (R-NH).

Christie has a notable history of viciously taking down another presidential hopeful. During a Republican presidential debate in New Hampshire in February 2016, Christie repeatedly slammed Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) for a “memorized 30-second speech” as the senator attacked former President Barack Obama. “Let’s dispel once and for all with this fiction that Barack Obama doesn’t know what he’s doing. He knows exactly what he’s doing,” Rubio repeatedly said at the Feb. 6 debate.

The moment was arguably the beginning of the end of Rubio’s 2016 campaign, although the Florida senator rejected that claim in June. Rubio would finish fifth place in the New Hampshire primary on Feb. 9, just three days after the debate, and after he had finished in third place during the Iowa caucuses.

Nearly seven years from that moment Christie has just enough support in New Hampshire to possibly threaten Haley’s campaign.

“I think the danger Christie poses to Haley is that he’s been consistently getting 9%, 10%, 11% in most surveys here,” said Christopher Galdieri, a political scientist at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire. “And that might not be the difference between Haley winning and losing, but it could be the difference between her being a very close second and a really distant second.”

A RealClearPolitics poll average of New Hampshire surveys shows Christie at 12.3% support behind Haley at 21.3% and Trump at 44.3%. Another CBS News/YouGov poll released on Sunday showed Christie at 10% among likely GOP New Hampshire primary voters, while Haley was at 29%, and Trump was at 44%.

Christie would get into a back-and-forth with CBS host Margaret Brennan over poll and Haley’s rising momentum. “It’s kind of just a foolish poll, with all due respect,” Christie said. “And the fact is that in the end, look, Gov. Haley got an endorsement this week that got her a lot of free media publicity, but it doesn’t change one simple fact. She won’t answer questions about Donald Trump. In fact, you know, she said just this week that he’s fit to be president.”

Three days earlier, his campaign would release an ad attacking both Haley and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), the top two non-Trump candidates, for excoriating each other and avoiding Trump, the frontrunner. “There’s only one candidate trying to stop Trump. Chris Christie is the only one who can beat Trump because he’s the only one trying to beat Trump,” said a narrator.

In addition to going after Haley and DeSantis, Christie has also viciously attacked biotech Vivek Ramaswamy over his fluctuating foreign policy stances during the four GOP primary debates. But that hasn’t proven to harm Trump, whom Christie vehemently claims he wants to block from the nomination. It’s mostly soured the GOP base on Christie and dragged down his opponents.

Neither the Christie nor Haley campaigns responded to the Washington Examiner‘s request for comment.

Sean Van Anglen, a New Hampshire political consultant, cautioned that Christie’s campaign may not be a “complete spoiler” for Haley.

“There’s about 46% out there that haven’t made up their mind whatsoever. So I think if Gov. Sununu and Nikki Haley get that, I think there’ll be okay,” said Van Anglen. “But I think, at the same time, Christie not dropping out could be a little worrisome. I think it just makes the job a little bit harder than it should be. But I don’t think it will be a complete spoiler.”

New Hampshire is an open primary state, meaning voters do not have to be registered as a Republican to participate in the primary. The 2024 GOP candidates will have to battle to win over not just Republican voters but also the roughly 40% of independent voters in New Hampshire. The Sununu endorsement will likely endear Haley to independents who view the governor favorably.

Yet it has come at a cost to Christie. As Haley has begun to overtake DeSantis’s role as the chief Trump alternative candidate, Christie has faced growing calls to suspend his campaign. Ford O’Connell, a Florida-based GOP strategist, told the Washington Examiner that if Christie were to drop out, his supporters would likely vote for Haley, given his anti-Trump stance. But Trump’s lead will be a tough battle to overcome.

“I do think that if Chris Christie were to get out before New Hampshire, that might benefit her,” O’Connell said. “At the same time, though, this situation with the Colorado case is unifying for the GOP base.”

Colorado’s Supreme Court disqualified Trump from running for president and removed him from the state’s primary ballot, citing the 14th Amendment on Tuesday evening. The Supreme Court has until Jan. 5 to decide whether it will take up the case and issue a ruling. If the high court doesn’t rule, Trump could still remain on the ballot.

“That’s 10 days before Iowa. That’s going drive those people bonkers,” O’Connell said. “And Christie, he’s got no signs of going anywhere. I mean he is not trying to leave the race … he says his mission is to wound Trump. But I mean, he’s starting to wound other candidates, too.”

The ruling has forced Trump’s opponents to come to his aid in the last few weeks before the Jan. 15 Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary eight days later. But they will have at least two more large-scale moments to speak to the GOP base. CNN is hosting a Jan. 10 debate in Iowa, and ABC News is hosting a debate on Jan. 18 in New Hampshire. (CNN has also said it is hosting a Jan. 21 debate.) Christie could presumably have one more chance to take on Haley before voters decide which candidate they prefer during the Granite State primary.

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“If he makes the stage here, if he’s still in the race when there’s the debate here … I think for him the pressure will be on because that’ll be basically his last shot before for a big TV audience. And it’s really tough for me to see him passing that up,” said Galdieri.

Van Anglen, the New Hampshire consultant, said ultimately, Haley will have to earn the votes she needs to defeat Christie and possibly take on Trump.” I would like to see Christie drop out. I think it would solve a lot of headaches that could come up in the next couple of weeks,” he said. “But if he doesn’t at the same time, you just gotta hit the pavement.”

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New Hampshire

This New Hampshire town was named the ‘best ski town’ in North America – The Boston Globe

Published

7 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Press Room

This New Hampshire town was named the ‘best ski town’ in North America – The Boston Globe

Take that Jackson Hole. Better luck next time, Banff.

North Conway, N.H., was named the best ski town by the 2024 USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, topping Mammoth Lakes, Calif., and fellow New England winter mecca, Stowe, Vt.

“A ski town in its own right — the slopes of Cranmore Mountain Resort are just a few blocks off of the White Mountain Highway, the town’s main street — North Conway is also a convenient base for day-tripping to other classic New England ski areas like Black Mountain, King Pine, and Attitash,” USA Today wrote said. “Formidable Mount Washington, the tallest peak in New England, can be explored by snow coach or the venerable Cog Railway, and the town’s cozy hotels and B&Bs promise a warm welcome after a winter day outdoors.”

A father and son enjoy skiing at Cranmore Mountain in North Conway. NHDTTD

Other award categories included best ski restaurants, best ski hotels, best ski shops, best ski schools, and best ski resorts (Cannon Mountain in Franconia, N.H., ranked seventh among the resorts).

It is worth noting that each top 10 list includes this disclaimer: “When you buy through a link on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.”

Nominees were “submitted by a panel of experts” and narrowed down by editors to a final slate. When the nominees are announced, the public can cast votes for their favorites (readers are allowed to vote for one nominee per category, per calendar day) over a period of four weeks, according to USA Today.

The rankings described Stowe as a “quintessential New England village and an ideal ski town rolled into one.”

“Laid out along the course of the Little River, the town is home to the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum as well as resorts like the Trapp Family Lodge, the Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa, and the elegant Topnotch Resort, but also plenty of more modest options. Dining choices likewise run the gamut from elegant to casual; the von Trapp Brewery and Beerhall is the go-to for German brews and food. The main street morphs into the access road leading to Mount Mansfield and the Stowe Mountain Resort.”

Also in Stowe, the Pinnacle Ski and Sports was named the best ski shop, the Cliff House Restaurant was rated the eighth-best ski restaurant, and Topnotch Resort ranked sixth among the best ski hotels.

Backcountry skier Brooks Curran unpacks his skis from his backpack in Stowe, Vt., in February 2021.
Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff

Rounding out the 10 best ski towns were destinations out west. Banff, Alberta took fourth place; Jackson Hole, Wyo., ranked fifth; Red River, N.M., came in sixth; Vail, Colo., was seventh; Steamboat Springs, Colo., ranked eighth; Taos, N.M., was ninth; and McCall, Idaho, took 10th place.

Emily Sweeney can be reached at emily.sweeney@globe.com. Follow her @emilysweeney and on Instagram @emilysweeney22.

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New Hampshire

Vermont stabbing suspect captured in New Hampshire

Published

16 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Press Room

Vermont stabbing suspect captured in New Hampshire

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – The UVM men’s soccer team is marching on to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 for a third straight year after dominating Iona 5-0 on a wet Thursday night at Virtue Field.
Vermont broke the ice less than 20 minutes in on a long range effort from David Ismail, but it was Yaniv Bazini who broke the game open in the second half. The redshirt senior forward curled one around the Gael keeper from outside the box less than 20 seconds into the second half, then made it a brace with a cheeky backheel effort ten minutes later.
“We have a lot of experience,” Bazini said after the Cats’ sixth NCAA Tournament victory in the last three seasons. “I think for every person, when it’s like a do or die situation, everybody gives their best and everybody here is a team. As individuals give their best for everything. So I think this is the recipe that we have for our success.”
Ryan Zellefrow and Maxi Kissel would add tallies of their own for the emphatic 5-0 final score.
“I thought we came up and played really well,” head coach Rob Dow added. “We knew they had strengths. They’re champions of the MAAC, a possession oriented team, and they had a lot of confidence on the ball. We had to endure a few of those moments, but once we broke we knew we could be dangerous. And we had Sydney (Wathuta) going forward. We have Bazini going forward, Marcell (Papp) underneath and David (Ismail) on the right. That’s a really hard four to defend. And all of them had really good games.”
Vermont will head down to Long Island for the next round, where #7 Hofstra is waiting. Kickoff from Hempstead is slated for 5 p.m. on Sunday.

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New Hampshire

Child care in N.H. can be even more expensive than housing, food, and health care – The Boston Globe

Published

1 day ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

Child care in N.H. can be even more expensive than housing, food, and health care – The Boston Globe

CONCORD, N.H. — Some New Hampshire families are spending nearly one-third of their income on child care, according to a new analysis from the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire.

Child care costs have gone up significantly in recent years, swelling 48 percent from 2013 to 2023 in New Hampshire, the analysis found. And there was an uptick in costs in the post-pandemic years, growing 12.5 percent from 2022 to 2023.

Take, for instance, a family with one infant and a 4-year-old going to a day-care center. They are spending, on average, $33,257 per year on child care: $17,250 per year for the infant, and $16,007 for the toddler, according to the nonprofit Child Care Aware of America.

With the median family in New Hampshire with children under 5 earning about $112,230, according to the analysis, that means about 29 percent of their income would have to go to child care alone.

In the course of a year, that would make child care the single biggest expense for many families, more than the cost of housing ($11,400 to $20,772), food ($12,456 to $13,068), and health care ($12,876 to $13,068), according to the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute.

“The prices are rapidly increasing,” said Tyrus Parker, a research scientist at the University of New Hampshire and co-author of the analysis.

What is driving that?

“I think the price increase is due to a mix of factors, although I’d be hard pressed to assign a share to any given factor,” said Jess Carson, director of the Center for Social Policy in Practice at UNH and co-author of the analysis.

The increased cost of rent, utilities, food, and cleaning supplies also affects child-care providers, she said. Plus, there are workforce shortages that can drive up wages to recruit and retain staff, she said. If they don’t have enough staff, providers have to decrease their enrollment – but that doesn’t necessarily bring a proportional savings in operating costs, according to Carson.

And, she said, now that pandemic-era aid has wound down, the only way providers can increase revenue is by increasing tuition. The economic impact can ripple out beyond the immediate families affected, taking parents who can’t afford child care out of the workforce.

“Families have to make compromises based on their economic realities,” said Parker.

“Maybe a family would like their child to be in care five days a week, but instead they have to opt for three days, and then one of the parents goes down to working part time just because the cost of child care is too high,” he said.

This story first appeared in Globe NH | Morning Report, our free newsletter focused on the news you need to know about New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles from other places. If you’d like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, you can sign up here.

Amanda Gokee can be reached at amanda.gokee@globe.com. Follow her @amanda_gokee.

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