A Donald Trump campaign volunteer in Massachusetts “will no longer have any involvement” in the campaign after he warned in an email that New Hampshire was “no longer a battleground state,” according to the Boston Globe on Monday.
In an email, which was obtained by the Globe, Tom Mountain, a Massachusetts volunteer for the Trump campaign, wrote to other Trump volunteers in the state that “the campaign has determined that New Hampshire is no longer a battleground state,” and instead directed supporters to focus on Pennsylvania, another battleground state.
Mountain continued in his email by stating that Trump was “sure to lose by an even higher margin” in New Hampshire than in 2016 and 2020, citing “campaign data/research.”
In 2020, Joe Biden won the state with 52 percent of the vote to Trump’s 45 percent, while in 2016, Hillary Clinton was able to carry the state by around 2,700 votes.
Advertisement
In addition, Mountain claimed resources would be suspended and the campaign would not send Trump or high-profile figures central to the campaign to the state.
However, in an emailed response to Newsweek, Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt denied Mountain’s claims and reiterated the campaign’s efforts in New Hampshire stating it “maintains an on-the-ground presence” in the state.
“This isn’t true: President Trump’s campaign maintains an on-the-ground presence in New Hampshire, including staff and offices, while Kamala Harris is parachuting in because she knows that the Granite State is in play. We look forward to building on the momentum that we have grown since the primary and sending New Hampshire’s four electoral votes to President Trump’s column on November 5,” Leavitt said.
In addition, the Trump campaign clarified Mountain is a volunteer and does not hold a “formal role” in the campaign, adding that he is not privy to internal deliberations about campaign strategy or plans for other states.
“It appears this was just an independent attempt to generate enthusiasm for volunteer deployments to a nearby major swing state,” the Trump campaign said in an emailed statement.
Advertisement
Mountain, who had served as one of several vice chairs for the former president’s effort in Massachusetts, is also a former official with the Massachusetts GOP.
This comes as New Hampshire has voted Democratic in all but one election since 1992, but it is considered a battleground state in most election cycles because control of its state legislature and congressional seats have switched back and forth between Republicans and Democrats.
Meanwhile, battleground states, including New Hampshire, will play a key role in determining the result of this year’s election due to the Electoral College, which awards each state a certain number of electoral votes based on population. A presidential candidate needs to secure 270 electoral votes for victory, and winning the national popular vote does not guarantee success. Surveys from battleground states may be more telling than those of national polls.
In July, in the first public survey of New Hampshire voters since President Biden dropped out of the presidential race, Harris had a lead of 6 points over the former president.
The poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire between July 23 and 25, shows Harris with a 49 to 43 percent lead over Trump. The poll surveyed 3,016 people and had a margin of error of 1.8 percent.
Advertisement
In a Saint Anselm College Survey Center (SASC) poll of 2,083 New Hampshire registered voters conducted between July 24 and 25, Harris had a 50-44 percent margin over Trump. The poll had a 2.1 percent margin of error.
However, Harris was not previously leading in the state. In a poll conducted by the New Hampshire Journal and Praecones Analytica after the Republican convention but before Biden announced his withdrawal from the 2024 campaign when Harris was matched up against Trump in a head-to-head, her Republican rival was leading her by one point, on 40 percent to her 39 percent.
This comes as the Democratic presidential ticket has seen a dramatic reversal in the polls since Biden’s decision to drop out of the race and endorse Harris. She has surged in the polls—leading Trump in national and swing state polling averages whereas Biden was generally behind.
According to FiveThirtyEight’s polling average on Monday, the vice president is 7 points ahead of Trump in the state, with 50.3 percent to his 43.2 percent.
Although Harris is leading in the polling averages, recent polls in Pennsylvania have also shown the pair tied, including the latest surveys conducted by Wick and Emerson College between August 25 and 29.
Advertisement
Meanwhile, other polls have shown Trump in the lead, including a Trafalgar Group poll from August 30, which put the former president 2 points ahead of Harris among likely voters. A SoCal Strategies poll from August 23 put the former president 1 point ahead, while a Fabrizio Ward poll from August 21 also put the Republican 1 point ahead in a head-to-head matchup.
Four people were found dead late Wednesday afternoon at a home in Wakefield, N.H., after an apparent carbon monoxide exposure, New Hampshire State Police said.
At 4:21 p.m., police responded to 2962 Province Lake Road for a welfare check, State Police said in a statement.
Police found multiple adults dead inside, the statement said.
Advertisement
The identities of the victims were not released “pending next of kin notification,” according to the statement.
Investigators from the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office assisted at the scene, authorities said. Wakefield Fire Rescue, Wakefield Police Department, and New Hampshire State Police also provided aid at the scene, officials said.
The official causes of death will be determined by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on Thursday, according to the statement.
Anyone with information that could assist the investigation can contact the State Fire Marshal’s Office at 603-223-4289 or fmo@dos.nh.gov.
State Fire Marshal Sean P. Toomey said residents should ensure they have working carbon monoxide alarms in their homes, the statement said. Residents should immediately exit their homes and call 9-1-1 when an alarm is activated, according to the statement.
Advertisement
Carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas that can be produced by household items including burning furnaces, portable generators, and charcoal grills, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website.
Some common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, described as “flu-like,” are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain and confusion, the website said.
Kiera McDonald can be reached at kiera.mcdonald@globe.com.
CONCORD, NH — From all of us to all of you, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Holidays.
We hope you have a great time with family and friends during this joyous time of the year.
Unlike last year, when it was kinda dreary due to not having any snow, there is a little bit on the ground this year, thankfully. It’s incredible how something as simple as a little white stuff on the ground can make the mood festive.
If you need some posts and videos to get into the holiday spirit, check out some of the ones I put together this season:
Advertisement
Also Read
The Concord Nativity scene outside the Statehouse on Christmas Eve 2024. Credit: Tony Schinella
This year, I ran out of time and did not get to put together a Christmas lights video. I ran out of time last year, too. However, I’ll make a mental note to do one in 2025; it’s work to put together, but they are a lot of fun.
If you haven’t seen the prior videos, check them out here:
Christmas Lights in Concord 2022:
Advertisement
Christmas Lights in Concord 2021:
Christmas Lights in Concord 2020, Part 1:
Christmas Lights in Concord 2020, Part 2:
Advertisement
I’ll have a few “Best Of” posts next week, and we can then welcome in the New Year.
Until then, stay safe and enjoy your time with your family and friends.
Got a news tip? Could you send it to tony.schinella@patch.com? View videos on Tony Schinella’s YouTube.com channel or Rumble.com channel.
Dec. 24—The state Supreme Court has issued a ruling in a legal fight over a proposed jet fueling station at Portsmouth International Airport, determining only landowners are able to offer environmental concerns on matters before the New Hampshire Wetlands Council, not renters. Million Air, an international fixed-base operator (FBO) provider based in Houston, Texas, and doing business as Pease …