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NH Republican Voters Name National Security as Chief Concern Ahead of Election

50 percent say foreign policy most important issue influencing vote

AP
December 8, 2015

Likely Republican primary voters in New Hampshire named national security as their chief concern ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

Fifty percent of GOP voters in the state say that foreign policy and national security are the most important issues influencing their vote in the Republican primary, according to a CNN/WMUR poll released Tuesday evening,

The share of New Hampshire Republican voters naming this issue as their top concern has more than doubled following the terror attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California, increasing from 21 percent in September and 19 percent in June.

The survey, conducted between Nov. 30 and Dec. 7 by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, found that 18 percent of GOP voters in the state name jobs and the economy as the top issue influencing their vote, down from 29 percent in September. Immigration is also a relatively important issue, with 12 percent of these voters citing it as their top concern.

Businessman Donald Trump and Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) hold the top spots in the primary contest in New Hampshire with 32 and 14 percent of the vote, respectively. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie follows with 9 percent, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush with 8 percent, Ohio Gov. John Kasich with 7 percent, and Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) with 6 percent. All other candidates have 5 percent or less.

Rubio and Trump also have the highest favorability ratings, with 61 percent and 56 percent, respectively, of likely GOP primary voters in New Hampshire viewing them positively. Rubio is also the overwhelming second choice among Republicans in the state, with 20 percent naming him as their second choice in the primary contest.

Despite his success, Trump is the candidate for whom New Hampshire Republicans are most likely not to vote, with 26 percent saying they definitely would not support the candidate under any circumstance.

Republican voters in the state have largely not yet made up their minds about their choice in the primary. Though 18 percent have decided their vote, a majority of 56 percent are still weighing which candidate to support.

Published under: 2016 Election