On the eve of the New Hampshire Primary, former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman is tied with Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) in the latest American Research Group poll of likely New Hampshire Primary voters released Monday. Mr. Paul garnered 17 percent of the votes and Mr. Huntsman pulled in 18 percent of the votes.
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney won the American Research Group poll with 37 percent of the votes. While Mr. Romney is expected to win the New Hampshire Primary, Mr. Paul is likely to finish in second place. However, Mr. Huntsman is the only candidate who could challenge Mr. Paul’s quest for second place.
On the eve of the New Hampshire Primary, Mr. Huntsman spent time rallying supporters and attacking his rivals. Mr. Huntsman’s chief target was Mr. Romney.
“It’s become abundantly clear over the last couple days what differentiates Gov. Romney and me. I will always put my country first. It seems Gov. Romney believes in putting politics first,” Mr. Huntsman told reporters in Concord, New Hampshire, according to The Los Angeles Times. “Gov. Romney enjoys firing people, I enjoy creating jobs,” Mr. Huntsman added.
Mr. Huntsman’s criticism of Romney was a response to the Bain Capital co-founder’s vilification of the former U.S. ambassador to China for serving in the U.S. State Department under President Barack Obama.
Mr. Paul walked away from another CNN interview Monday after being questioned about his ability to connect with voters in New Hampshire. According to The New York Times, Mr. Paul abruptly ended an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash after she asked the Texas congressman about an incident with a voter at a Manchester diner.
“I’m hopeful a strong finish in New Hampshire will prove that the momentum is with my campaign,” Mr. Paul said in an email to campaign supporters Monday.
Mr. Huntsman and Mr. Paul tied in a Public Policy Polling poll Sunday. The PPP poll found the Texas congressman in second with 18 percent of the votes. Mr. Huntsman finished in third with 16 percent of the votes.
American Research Group interviewed 600 likely New Hampshire Primary voters on January 8th and January 9th. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
