Haley captures independents and college grads, but Trump base holds fast in NH: Preliminary exit polls

Donald Trump held fast to his core support groups even as anti-Trump voters coalesced around Nikki Haley in the New Hampshire Republican primary on Tuesday, producing a far different race than Trump's blowout victory in Iowa last week, albeit still a clear win for the former president, exit polling shows.

ABC News projects that Trump will win the Republican race over rival Haley, based on an analysis of the vote. (President Joe Biden is projected to win on the Democratic side.)

Strong turnout by unaffiliated voters and a comparative abundance of moderates stood out in preliminary exit poll results, underscoring the state's often unconventional voter profile.

Forty-seven percent of voters reported being registered as «undeclared» rather than Republican vs. a previous record of 45% in 2012. Haley won those undeclared voters by a 2-to-1 margin.

Under New Hampshire law, the New Hampshire primary is open, allowing independents to vote for either the Democratic or Republican nominee.

Moderates, a strong Haley group, accounted for 29% of voters, compared with 9% in last week's Iowa caucuses. Just 25% were very conservative vs. 52% in Iowa. And white evangelicals were 19%, compared with 55% in Iowa.

Haley ran evenly among women, the exit poll indicated, a 49-48% split. The margin of Trump's victory came entirely among men.

He also prevailed by wide margins among groups such as conservatives, evangelicals, those focused on immigration, non-college graduates and those who expressed the deepest economic and social discontent. For example, he won 81% of those who said they're «angry» about the country's direction.

While Trump stayed strong with his base, two groups in particular showed non-Trump voters coming together for Haley.

She won 58%