New Hampshire is finally getting some attention from Jeb Bush who will make his first visit there this weekend. The rest of the field has been in and out of the Granite State from time to time at various events. Polls show Bush with a lead among New Hampshire primary voters but Scott Walker is close on his heels.
Report from CNN:
Jeb Bush will swing through New Hampshire this weekend, making his inaugural 2016 trip to the first-in-the-nation primary state ahead his expected presidential campaign.
He’s not the only potential candidate in town. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker will also hit the trail in New Hampshire on Saturday, appearing at a grassroots training hosted by the state GOP.
Recent polls show the two Republicans are vying for the top spot in the crowded field of prospective candidates. Bush has the support of 18% potential GOP primary voters in New Hampshire, while Walker was just behind at 15%, according to an NBC/Marist poll released last month. [Emphasis added]
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry has also been in New Hampshire for a busy two-day tour Thursday and Friday, while Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas arrives Sunday for a dinner in the northern part of the state, followed by a breakfast in Manchester on Monday morning.
For his part, Bush will hold a round table discussion at Integra Biosciences in Hudson on Friday afternoon, followed by a house party at the home of former New Hampshire GOP Chairman Fergus Cullen.
The poll referenced in this piece shows Bush leading by 2 points, however, the current average puts them dead-even with a slight advantage to Walker. Rand Paul and Chris Christie sit only a few points back as well. New Hampshire can vary greatly from Iowa and it wouldn’t surprise me if we see split-winners as we did in 2012. In fact, the top four or five spots in Iowa and New Hampshire can differ greatly once the dust settles.
Jeb will be making a play in Iowa, but I think he’ll be looking to New Hampshire as the jump-start to a run at the nomination.
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