'Very big stakes': Pro-Haley lawmaker warns that Trump will be 'unstoppable' if he wins NH

On the final weekend leading up to the critical first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primary, supporters of former UN ambassador Nikki Haley fear her campaign may be over if she doesn't win the Granite State.

Former New Hampshire state senator Gordon J. Humphrey — who left the Republican Party after Donald Trump won the GOP nomination in 2016 — told the New York Times that there are "very big stakes" for Haley concerning Tuesday's primary contest.

"If he wins here, Trump will be unstoppable," Humphrey said.

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Haley has effectively bet her campaign's future on New Hampshire, where the winner has gone on to claim the GOP presidential nomination in all but four elections dating back almost 50 years. She has considerably narrowed the gap between herself and the former president by roughly 30 points in just the last month, which may be the product of both Republican establishment figures like Gov. Chris Sununu (R) rallying to her side, and rivals like former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie dropping out of the race.

Should Haley eke out a win or a close second-place finish, it could give her campaign enough momentum to remain competitive through the March 5 "Super Tuesday" primaries, in which more than a dozen states and territories will hold their presidential nominating contests. However, a loss in New Hampshire would shift all the momentum in Trump's favor, and help him in his quest to clinch the Republican nomination early with big wins in the remaining early state primary contests in South Carolina and Nevada.

Trump's campaign has claimed that Haley's efforts in New Hampshire are "designed to co-opt and take over a GOP nominating contest with non-Republicans and Democrats." Trump himself previously said that Haley "is counting on Democrats and liberals to infiltrate your Republican primary," and that she is endorsed by "all of the RINOs, globalists, Never Trumpers and Crooked Joe Biden’s biggest donors."

However, while independents (which New Hampshire refers to as "undeclared" voters) can participate in the Republican primary, registered Democrats cannot, and the deadline to switch party affiliation has since passed. New Hampshire voters will head to the polls on January 23.

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