On Tuesday, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu threw his support behind former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, providing a potential lift to her candidacy in the state set to host the second Republican presidential nominating contest on January 23.

This endorsement from Sununu, a well-liked governor openly at odds with former President Donald Trump’s bid for a third GOP nomination, deals a setback to the New Hampshire-centric campaign of former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

Sununu officially declared his endorsement for Haley, a former United Nations ambassador, during an evening event in Manchester, the Wall Street Journal reported.

“It doesn’t get any better than this, to go and get endorsed by a live-free-or-die governor,” Haley said, invoking New Hampshire’s motto.

“This is an opportunity for New Hampshire to lead this country, for New Hampshire to say we’re not looking in the rearview mirror anymore,” Sununu said.

Having ruled out a presidential run for himself, Sununu pledged to actively participate in the nominating process. In recent months, he has stood alongside numerous candidates during their visits to his state.

Written by B.C. Begley

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