A volunteer for Donald Trump’s campaign in Massachusetts has stepped back from his role following controversial claims about New Hampshire‘s status as a battleground state, as reported by the Boston Globe.
Tom Mountain, who volunteered for the campaign, stated in an email to fellow volunteers that the Trump campaign no longer considers New Hampshire competitive and encouraged supporters to focus their efforts in Pennsylvania instead. He expressed concerns that Trump would perform worse in New Hampshire than in 2016 and 2020, referencing campaign data.
In the 2020 election, Joe Biden won New Hampshire with 52% of the vote compared to Trump’s 45%, while in 2016, Hillary Clinton secured the state by a narrow margin of around 2,700 votes.
Mountain also mentioned that campaign resources would be redirected and that no significant campaign appearances would be made in New Hampshire. In response, Trump campaign spokesperson Leavitt emphasized that the campaign continues to have a presence in the state and is focused on achieving electoral wins in New Hampshire.
The Trump campaign clarified that Mountain, who previously served as a vice chair in Massachusetts’s GOP, is merely a volunteer without formal insider knowledge on campaign strategy.
New Hampshire has largely voted Democratic since 1992, although it remains a battleground state as control of its local legislature and congressional seats has fluctuated between parties. The state plays a crucial role in the Electoral College, which determines the presidential election outcome. To win, a candidate must collect 270 electoral votes, meaning battleground states like New Hampshire can be pivotal.
Recent polls indicate Vice President Kamala Harris has a slight lead over Trump in New Hampshire, with one July poll showing her up by 6 points. However, prior to Biden’s exit from the race, the dynamic was different, with Trump leading Harris. Interestingly, Harris’s surge in the polls followed Biden’s endorsement, establishing her as a serious contender.
Despite her current advantage in New Hampshire, polling in neighboring Pennsylvania shows the two candidates in a dead heat, indicating the fluctuating nature of the race as the campaigns evolve.