MANCHESTER, N.H. — Former President Donald Trump easily won New Hampshire’s primary on Tuesday, seizing command of the race for the Republican nomination and making a November rematch against President Joe Biden feel all the more inevitable.

The result was a setback for former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, who finished second despite investing significant time and financial resources in a state famous for its independent streak. She’s the last major challenger after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ended his presidential bid over the weekend, allowing her to campaign as the sole alternative to Trump.

Trump’s allies ramped up pressure on Haley to leave the race before the polls had closed, but Haley vowed after the results were announced to continue her campaign. Speaking to supporters, she intensified her criticism of the former president, questioning his mental acuity and pitching herself as a unifying candidate who would usher in generational change.

“This race is far from over. There are dozens of states left to go,” Haley said, while some in the crowd cried, “It’s not over!”

Trump, meanwhile, can now boast of being the first Republican presidential candidate to win open races in Iowa and New Hampshire since both states began leading the election calendar in 1976, a striking sign of how rapidly Republicans have rallied around him to make him their nominee for the third consecutive time.

At his victory party Tuesday night, Trump repeatedly insulted Haley and gave a far angrier speech than after his Iowa victory, when his message was one of Republican unity.

“Let’s not have someone take a victory when she had a very bad night,” Trump said. He added, “Just a little note to Nikki: She’s not going to win.”

With easy wins in both early states, Trump is demonstrating an ability to unite the GOP’s factions firmly behind him. He’s garnered support from the evangelical conservatives who are influential in Iowa and New Hampshire’s more moderate voters, strength he hopes to replicate during the general election.

Trump posted especially strong results in the state’s most conservative areas, while Haley won more liberal parts. The only areas in which Haley was leading Trump were in Democratic-leaning cities and towns such as Concord, Keene and Portsmouth.

Pat Sheridan, a 63-year-old engineer from Hampton, voted for Trump “because he did a really good job the first time.”

“We need a businessman, not bureaucrats,” Sheridan said.

About half of GOP primary voters said they are very or somewhat concerned that Trump is too extreme to win the general election, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of the state’s electorate. Only about one-third say the same about Haley.

Still, Haley’s path to becoming the GOP standard-bearer is narrowing quickly. She won’t compete in a contest that awards delegates until South Carolina’s Feb. 24 primary, bypassing the Feb. 8 Nevada caucuses that are widely seen as favoring Trump.

As South Carolina’s former governor, Haley is hoping a strong showing there could propel her into the March 5 Super Tuesday contests. But in a deeply conservative state where Trump is exceedingly popular, those ambitions may be tough to realize and a home-state loss could prove politically devastating.

“This is just the beginning; we’ve got the rest of the nation,” said Sandy Adams, 66, an independent from Bow who supported Haley. “I think we’ve got a strong candidate, and the first time we have just two candidates, and that’s a great thing.”

On the Democratic side, Biden won his party’s primary but had to do so via a write-in effort. The Democratic National Committee voted to start its primary next month in South Carolina, but New Hampshire pushed ahead with its own contest. Biden didn’t campaign or appear on the ballot but topped a series of little-known challengers.

Trump’s early sweep through the Republican primary is remarkable considering he faces 91 criminal charges related to everything from seeking to overturn the 2020 presidential election to mishandling classified documents and arranging payoffs to a porn actress. He left the White House in 2021 in the grim aftermath of an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol led by his supporters who sought to stop the certification of Biden’s win. And Trump was the first president to be impeached twice.

Beyond the political vulnerabilities associated with the criminal cases, Trump faces a logistical challenge in balancing trials and campaigning. He has frequently appeared voluntarily at a New York courtroom where a jury is considering whether he should pay additional damages to a columnist who last year won a $5 million jury award against Trump for sex abuse and defamation. He has turned these appearances into campaign events, holding televised news conferences that give him an opportunity to spread his message to a large audience.

But Trump has turned those vulnerabilities into an advantage among GOP voters. He has argued that the criminal prosecutions reflect a politicized Justice Department, though there’s no evidence that officials there were pressured by Biden or anyone else in the White House to file charges.

Trump has also repeatedly told his supporters that he’s being prosecuted on their behalf, an argument that appears to have further strengthened his bond with the GOP base.

As Trump begins to pivot his attention to Biden and a general election campaign, the question is whether the former president’s framing of the legal cases will persuade voters beyond the GOP base. Trump lost the popular vote in the 2016 and 2020 elections and has faced particular struggles in suburban communities from Georgia to Pennsylvania to Arizona that could prove decisive in the fall campaign.

Trump traveled frequently to New Hampshire in the months leading up to the primary but didn’t spend as much time in the state as many of his rivals. Rather than the traditional approach of greeting voters personally or in small groups, Trump has staged large rallies. He has spent much of his time complaining about the past — including the lie that the 2020 election was stolen due to widespread voter fraud.

If he returns to the White House, the former president has promised to enact a hardline immigration agenda that includes stopping migrants from crossing the U.S.-Mexico border and reimposing his first-term travel ban that originally targeted seven Muslim-majority countries. He’s also said the rising number of immigrants entering the United States are “poisoning the blood of our country,” echoing Adolf Hitler’s language.

Biden faces his own challenges. There are widespread concerns about his age at 81 years old. Dissent is also building within his party over Biden’s alliance with Israel in its war against Hamas, putting the president’s standing at risk in swing states like Michigan. A rally he held in northern Virginia on Tuesday to promote abortion rights — an issue his party sees as critical to success in November — was disrupted repeatedly by protests over U.S. military support for Israel. One person shouted “shame on you!”

But he avoided potential embarrassment in New Hampshire even as rivals like Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips compared him in advertising to Bigfoot — since both were hard to find.

Durwood Sargent, 79, of Bow, cast a write-in vote for Biden and said he wasn’t offended that the president kept his name off the ballot.

“It’s not a big deal. They’ve made a big deal out of it. The president’s got a country to run,” he said.

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Colvin reported from Nashua, New Hampshire. Weissert reported from Washington. The AP’s Bill Barrow in Atlanta, Michelle L. Price in Nashua, New Hampshire, Joseph Frederick in Franklin, New Hampshire, and Mike Pesoli in Laconia, New Hampshire, contributed to this report.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2024 election at https://apnews.com/hub/election-2024.

BRENTWOOD, NH — A Rockingham County grand jury indicted the following people recently.

Matthew Doric Baillargeon, 40, of River Street in Exeter on sale-dispense controlled drug-death resulting, fentanyl, and sale-dispense controlled drug-fentanyl charges, both felonies. He was accused of selling or dispensing the fentanyl to “CL” on Dec. 4, 2022, in Raymond, and causing their death when it was ingested.

David Lloyd Barker Jr., 61, of Lafayette Road in Hampton on 13 felony possession of child sexual abuse images charges. He was accused of possessing videos and photos between June 10 and Aug. 9, 2022, in Hampton.

David Christian Boosinger, 54, of Cabernet Circle in Wakee, Iowa, on a felony falsifying physical evidence charge. He was accused of concealing a firearm under his leg to impair an investigation on Nov. 29, 2023, in Epping.

Todd A. Burnim, 56, incarcerated at the time of the indictment, on two felony manufacture of child sexual abuse images charges. He was accused of creating a photo of a girl between Dec. 1, 2017, and Jan. 31, 2018, in Kensington.

Fredy Martinez, 25, of Prescott Street in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, on a felony theft by unauthorized taking charge. He was accused of stealing more than $1,500 in merchandise from Walmart in Derry on Sept. 4, 2023.

Anthony Christopher McCauliff, 35, of Sommerset Drive in Nashville, Tennessee, on theft by unauthorized taking and two burglary charges, all felonies. He was accused burglarizing a dwelling and second section of the ship, Ferdinand Hassler, on Feb. 2023, in New Castle, and stealing a Dell tablet, a keyboard, a card reader, a wallet, and other items.

Mahir Mehic, 30, of Lindsay Road in Hooksett on possession of fentanyl and possession of buprenorphine charges, both felonies, in Londonderry on April 11, 2023.

Rashell A. Mitchell, 36, of Elm Road in Everett, MA, on a felony theft by unauthorized taking charge. She was accused of stealing merchandise from Walmart in Salem on Dec. 20, 2023. Twice before, according to the indictment, she has been convicted on theft charges.

Jacob Corson Moore, 33, of Birch Street in Hampton on inhaling toxic vapors for effect and felony theft by unauthorized taking charges. He was accused of stealing Dust Off Spray on Sept. 6, 2023, in Plaistow and inhaling the fumes. Moore, according to the indictment, was convicted twice before on theft charges.

Krystel L. Morgado, 40, of Coopers Grove Road in Kingston on a felony theft by unauthorized taking charge. She was accused of making more than $1,500 ATM withdrawals and purchases on another person’s Service Credit Union account between Feb. 26 and March 26, 2023, in Kingston.

Denzel D. Moss, 29, of Fletcher Street in Nashua on a felony domestic violence-criminal threatening-deadly weapon charge. He was accused of sending a text message to a victim in Londonderry threatening to kill people and other comments on Dec. 22, 2023.

Arialka Y. Moya, 35, of Hillsdale Avenue in Haverhill, MA, on a felony theft by unauthorized taking charge. She was accused of stealing merchandise at Walmart in Salem on Oct. 19, 2023. Twice before, Moya was convicted on theft charges.

Travis Thomas Mullen, 44, of Bartlett Street in Lewiston, Maine, on a felony theft by unauthorized taking charge. He was accused of stealing more than $1,500 in clothes from Macy’s in Salem on April 20, 2023.

Trenton Eric Murphy, 26, of Rochester Hill Road in Rochester on possession of methamphetamine, possession of fentanyl, possession of Xanax, and possession of crack cocaine charges, all felonies, on Oct. 23, 2023, in Kingston.

Do you have a news tip? Please email it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella’s YouTube.com channel or Rumble.com channel. Follow the NH politics Twitter account @NHPatchPolitics for all our campaign coverage.

The Foundation for NH Community Colleges received a $500,000 gift from Delta Dental for NHTI to address the demand for and shortage of dental hygienists and dental assistants. The gift is one of the largest in the history of the college and will support the expansion of NHTI’s dental clinic services to Medicaid patients.

“Northeast Delta Dental has long supported dental health for Medicaid patients,” NHTI President Patrick Tompkins said. “Through their vision and our partnership, for the first time NHTI will bring affordable oral hygiene care to this New Hampshire demographic that is important for the wellbeing of the Granite State.”

This investment from Delta Dental comes on the one-year anniversary of legislation that provided comprehensive Medicaid oral health benefits for NH adults. It enables NHTI to launch a three-year pilot initiative to expand the reach of the school’s Dental Hygiene Clinic, the educational facility on campus where students provide dental care to the public with close supervision by faculty.

“NHTI offers the only program in New Hampshire for training dental hygienists,” Tompkins said. “Expanding service to Medicaid patients in our Dental Hygiene Clinic also expands the training opportunities for students who will work in all our communities.”

The funds from Delta Dental, combined with an equal investment from the college, will allow for the hiring of a Medicaid specialist and a supervising dentist. In addition, the funding will allow NHTI to make necessary upgrades to the program’s equipment and improvements in the program’s materials and radiology labs.

“It’s great for the community, and it’s an incredible opportunity for our students,” Lisa Scott, NHTI Dental Hygiene Program department chairwoman, said. “Our students will gain invaluable experience in treating these patients in a clinical setting.”

Established in 1970, the NHTI Dental Hygiene Program is recognized for its high-quality training that prepares students for this healthcare role serving patients in New Hampshire. Dental hygienists provide a range of preventive and therapeutic dental services, including assessments and care planning.

“With the expansion of Medicaid dental benefits, coupled with a continued dental hygiene shortage, the need for a skilled workforce is critical,” Tom Raffio, the president and CEO of Northeast Delta Dental, said. “We are committed to continuing to support the state’s only Dental Hygiene Program at NHTI and the needed expansion to sustain and grow the future dental workforce that is essential for the region.”

To learn more about supporting community college students, visit GiveNHCC.org.

Caption: From left-to-right: Joseph Errante, DDS, Vice President of Network and Clinical Strategies, Northeast Delta Dental; Lisa Scott, NHTI Dental Hygiene Program department chair; Dr. Patrick Tompkins, NHTI president; Jennifer McGrath, Senior Manager, Corporate Giving at Northeast Delta Dental and Tom Raffio, President and CEO of Northeast Delta Dental.

Submitted by the Foundation for NH Community Colleges.