Nikki Haley tries to draw New Hampshire’s independents without alienating voters who backed Trump

By HOLLY RAMER
Associated Press

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — With days left before the New Hampshire presidential primary, former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley needs to win over independent voters while also peeling support away from the front-runner, former President Donald Trump. Independents make up nearly 40% of registered voters in New Hampshire, and they can participate in either primary. That makes them a key target, but they aren’t a monolith. Some are left-leaning voters, with little ideological overlap with Haley, who are intent on stopping Trump. Others lean Republican and agree with her policies. Analysts say even if she succeeds in attracting independents, it’s a strategy with a potentially short shelf-life given that the nominating contests soon shift to more conservative states with closed primaries.