From 'landslide' to 'strong second': How Haley's expectations changed in New Hampshire

For weeks, Nikki Haley and her allies have said she was ready to take on Donald Trump in Tuesday's New Hampshire primary — and prove she has the momentum with Republicans to keep fighting him for the party's presidential nomination.

With Haley's endorsement from the state's popular governor, Chris Sununu, and its higher proportion of college-educated and independent voters, the state was seen as the most favorable early battleground for her against the former president after she finished a distant third in Iowa.

New Hampshire polls found Haley had some reason for optimism, with 538's polling average showing her gaining notable ground with voters since December.

Still, Trump's own support has also increased and they headed into primary day with Haley still trailing by double digits.

The Haley team, including surrogates like Sununu, also softened their own expectations for how she would perform, from predicting a «landslide» to vowing a «strong second.»

«We're fighting for every inch look. No one said that this was going to be easy,» Haley campaign spokeswoman Olivia Perez-Cubas told ABC News Live anchor Linsey Davis on Tuesday night. «Donald Trump is Donald Trump.»

Haley won the endorsement of anti-Trump New Hampshire Gov. Sununu in December. He chose her over other options like former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, both of whom have since ended their campaigns.

Sununu quickly became a key surrogate for Haley, stumping for her in numerous rallies and TV interviews.

Fresh off the endorsement — six weeks ahead of the primary — Sununu in a joint television appearance with Haley boasted that the former U.N. ambassador's chances of victory were high.

«The fact is, we're gonna have record turnout here,»