The former president’s allies, meanwhile, are promoting a shorthand name of their own for Trump: presumptive nominee. With solid leads in the polls in New Hampshire and other key states, Trump is seeing a growing number of Republicans endorsing his quest for another term.

One of the latest is U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, a South Carolina Republican who was endorsed by Haley in a tough GOP primary in 2022 against a Trump-backed challenger.

“I don’t see eye to eye perfectly with any candidate,” Mace said on social media. “And until now I’ve stayed out of it. But the time has come to unite behind our nominee.”

In Georgia, Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper and 15 state senators added their names to Trump’s list of supporters. They represented a mix of Republicans who were neutral in the race or backed other candidates who have since dropped out.

The most prominent DeSantis endorsee in Georgia, however, is still on the sidelines. U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Suwanee, said Republicans must “unite for our next victory,” but he did not back either Haley or Trump.

Monday’s schedule also served as a reminder of the surreal nature of this year’s New Hampshire primary.

While Haley barnstormed across the Granite State, Trump wasn’t set to hold his rally in Laconia until 9 p.m. because of a scheduled appearance in a New York court for the writer E. Jean Carroll’s defamation suit against him. But the trial was abruptly suspended on Monday after one of the jurors called in sick.

Credit: Credit Patricia Murphy

Credit: Credit Patricia Murphy

Democrats scramble to get write-ins for Biden on New Hampshire ballot

MANCHESTER, N.H. — New Hampshire Democrats have gone from “Riden’ for Biden” in 2020 to “Write-in for Biden” in 2024.

That’s because the Democratic National Committee changed the order of early primary states for this election year, but New Hampshire forged ahead with its first-in-the-nation presidential primary anyway.

The party maneuvering has left President Joe Biden in a pickle in the Granite State — without his name on the ballot Tuesday but still looking for a win here.

Looking to avoid an early loss on the same day former President Donald Trump is expected to easily win the GOP primary, local Democrats have run a monthslong campaign to tell voters to write in the president’s name on the ballot Tuesday. They’ve launched a website with sample ballots, sent direct mail to voters, and planned sign-waving brigades all week to remind Democrats about the plan.

“The DNC made a terrible decision not to have New Hampshire go first,” U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan said after talking Monday morning to a group of sign-waving volunteers across from a Dunkin’ Donuts in Manchester. But the New Hampshire Democrat said Biden needs a good showing despite the party’s moves, which the president supported. “We know Donald Trump is going to be the Republican nominee, and we know the threat that that poses to our democracy.”

New Hampshire voters will need to fill in a bubble on a paper ballot and write some version of Biden’s name on the ballot, which will have 21 other names to choose from. The competition ranges from U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota to “Paperboy Love Prince” from Brooklyn, New York.

Bob Mulholland, a longtime Democratic booster, waved a “Write-in Joe Biden” sign Monday on Hooksett Road in Manchester. He wore a matching “Write-in Joe Biden” baseball cap that he had made.

“Biden will get well over 50%,” Mulholland predicted of Tuesday’s result. “The only reason a Democrat will vote will be to vote for Biden. Sure there are 21 names, but nobody will pay much attention to those.”

Atlanta Journal-Constitution staff writer Greg Bluestein and columnist Patricia Murphy are in New Hampshire to cover its first-in-the-nation Republican primary. Follow their coverage on AJC.com/politics, and follow them on X: Bluestein at @bluestein and Murphy at @MurphyAJC.