CONCORD, N.H. — Donald Trump has expanded his lead in New Hampshire even further with just two weeks left to go until the state’s Feb. 9 primary.
According to the latest Franklin Pierce University/Boston Herald poll, Trump is now supported by 33 percent of Republican primary voters, up 7 percentage points since December, and is nearly 20 points ahead of his next closest competitor, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who has 14 percent.
John Kasich is also on the rise in the Granite State with a 4-point jump to 12 percent in the last month. Meanwhile, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has dropped from 12 percent to 8 percent support since the Boston Herald last polled Republican voters in December.
In New Hampshire, where voters often decide whom to support in the days, or hours leading up to the primary, 58 percent of voters said they’ve made a “firm” decision as to who they will vote for, while 42 percent remain undecided. Among Trump’s supporters, 76 percent describe their choice as firm, compared to 58 who definitely plan to vote for Cruz, 56 percent who’ve firmly decided on Kasich, and 39 percent who firmly support Rubio.
Rubio attracts the greatest percentage of voters (28 percent) whose No. 1 reason for supporting a candidate is their ability to win a general election. No other candidate tops 10 percent in that category.
Trump and Cruz supporters are more drawn to their candidates because of the issues they prioritize, while supporters of Christie, Kasich and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush are more attracted to the three candidates’ experience and “proven record[s].”
Trump and Rubio lead their competitors with the two highest favorability ratings, 58 percent and 56 percent, respectively. Fifty-four percent of voters view Cruz positively while 51 percent hold favorable views of Christie, Kasich and Bush.
The survey of 444 likely Republican primary voters was conducted between Jan. 20-24. Results contain a margin of error plus or minus 4.7 percent.
