Poll: Retired Army General Don Bolduc Holds Wide Lead in New Hampshire Senate Primary

Army veteran Don Bolduc continues to hold a commanding lead in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in New Hampshire, according to a new poll.

The poll, conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center among 892 likely primary voters, found Bolduc leading his closest competitor, New Hampshire Senate President Chuck Morse, by 21 points. Bolduc received 43 percent compared to Morse’s 22 percent.

Multiple other candidates landed in the single digits, and 20 percent of poll respondents said they were undecided.

Bolduc, a decorated Army veteran who served in the military for more than three decades, responded to the poll results Tuesday, stating that his “message resonates w/ grassroots voters” and adding he is “the best candidate” to defeat Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH), the Democrat incumbent Bolduc hopes to unseat in November.

“Career politicians have worn out their welcome. It’s time for outsiders to lead in DC,” Bolduc wrote.

Today’s @UNHSurveyCenter poll makes clear: General Bolduc’s message resonates w/ grassroots voters. He's the clear frontrunner for the #NHSEN primary & the best candidate to beat @SenatorHassan. Career politicians have worn out their welcome. It’s time for outsiders to lead in DC https://t.co/eVoTeB9Maj

— Don Bolduc (@GenDonBolduc) August 30, 2022

Hassan, a one-term senator and former governor, just barely won her first bid for Senate in 2016 by roughly 1,000 votes, or 0.1 percent. Hassan is now viewed as one of the most vulnerable Democrat incumbents heading into November and has spent more than $16 million on her reelection campaign.

While Bolduc, the Republican frontrunner, has spent less than half a million dollars according to the most updated federal data, Republican-aligned groups are expected to pour eight figures worth of advertising into defeating Hassan and rally behind the Republican nominee once one is decided.

New Hampshire’s late primary is happening in two weeks, on September 13.

The poll also found Bolduc, who lost his first primary in a close race in 2020, is the most well-known candidate. Bolduc enjoys a favorability rating of 57 percent, while Morse has a favorability rating of 41 percent.

In terms of media consumption, respondents who listen to conservative radio or the Joe Rogan Experience were far more likely to prefer Bolduc over Morse. Respondents whose media preferences are Fox News or local New Hampshire news also preferred Bolduc over Morse, but by a smaller margin.

The poll was conducted online August 25 through 29 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.2 percent.