2024 election: Candidates make last stops before NH primary

New Hampshire primary election is this Tuesday, Jan. 23
This comes a week after Iowa caucuses, which Donald Trump won
DeSantis is visiting South Carolina this weekend but denies 'skipping' NH

(NewsNation) — The New Hampshire primary election is fast approaching, meaning it’s the last chance for GOP presidential hopefuls to appeal to voters in the state.

Only days remain to change the minds of voters before the primary on Tuesday, Jan.23.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s campaign had multiple events planned throughout the state.

One of her surrogates, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, said in an interview with NewsNation that winning the primary is “within a stone’s throw.”

“It’s really doable, which is really exciting,” Sununu said. “I think that’s why you’re seeing all these folks kind of push the idea that, ‘Hey, we’re gonna come out, we’re gonna vote.'”

Throughout the election, Haley has been competing with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for second place. Both still lag behind former President Donald Trump, who has been leading by double digits for most of the race.

Last week, Trump won the Iowa caucuses, gaining 20 delegates, while DeSantis walked away with eight, and Haley received seven.

On Friday, Trump was in New Hampshire for an evening rally. His supporters were already waiting in line hours before the event. One told NewsNation he came out from New Jersey to see the former commander-in-chief because he thinks Trump is being “persecuted” right now. Trump is facing four criminal court cases, though this hasn’t seemed to sway his supporters.

Meanwhile, media outlets are reporting that DeSantis is shifting his presidential campaign away from New Hampshire, though he has pushed back against this.

DeSantis recently said he’s reallocating the majority of his staff to South Carolina, and NewsNation partner The Hill wrote he signaled he would visit the state after the Iowa caucuses. Sources told NewsNation that DeSantis will have an event Sunday in South Carolina, but he plans on heading to New Hampshire at some point after that.

“We went to South Carolina, knocked out a couple events and then did what we were planning to do in New Hampshire,” DeSantis said on Fox News. “That was somehow caricatured as ‘skipping’ New Hampshire when it wasn’t. It was adding South Carolina in addition to that.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.