ANALYSIS-Takeaways from the New Hampshire presidential primary

Polls don't start closing in New Hampshire until 7 p.m. ET so voting results were hours away. GOOD TIMES, BAD TIMES The exit polls showed that the economy continues to be the top concern of voters, with Haley showing surprising strength on the issue. Of the 34% who said the economy was their top priority, Trump and Haley were essentially tied at 50%, according to Edison.

The field of Republican candidates for president is down to two: Donald Trump and Nikki Haley. Trump, the former president, is hoping for a knockout blow against Haley, his former U.N. ambassador, in Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary, while Haley is aiming to amass enough support to show she is a viable challenger for the nomination.

Meanwhile, national Democrats were hoping President Joe Biden would not be embarrassed in a contest in which he is not on the ballot. The primary has been deemed unauthorized because it was held in violation of party rules and its results won't count. Here are takeaways from the New Hampshire primary:

INDIES TO THE RESCUE? Haley needed a healthy number of independent voters, who are permitted to vote in the primary, to come out for her to offset Trump’s strength with traditional conservatives.

There were early signs that may have been occurring, based on exit polls from Edison Research. According to Edison, 37% of voters who turned out considered themselves moderates or liberals, compared to 29% in 2016, when Trump won the primary handily.

Of the 45% percent who called themselves independents, Haley was winning 62% of their vote compared to 35% for Trump. She was winning 76% of those who call themselves moderates. On the flip side, Trump was dominating with self-declared conservatives, winning them by a 69% to 29% margin.

Nearly half the voters (49%) believe Biden did not win the 2020 election fairly, according to the poll. Trump, who has perpetuated that false claim since he lost to Biden, was getting the vast majority of those voters at 84%. Half the voters said they believed Trump would be fit for the presidency even if convicted of a crime, the poll said.

Conversely, 47% said he would be unfit, and Haley was earning 84% of those voters. That suggests Trump's legal problems could hamper him in a general-election matchup against Biden. Polls don't start closing in New Hampshire until 7 p.m. ET so voting results were hours away.

GOOD TIMES, BAD TIMES The exit polls showed that the economy continues to be the top concern of voters, with Haley showing surprising strength on the issue.

Of the 34% who said the economy was their top priority, Trump and Haley were essentially tied at 50%, according to Edison. Overall, 69% of voters said the economy was “not so good or poor.” Those who thought things are in dire straits were more likely to vote for Trump, while voters who believed the economy is in relatively good shape went for Haley.

That makes some sense, given Haley’s supporters tend to be more moderate, educated and affluent. Among voters who said they earned $100,000 or more annually, Haley was beating Trump 56% to 38%. Trump got 76% of the voters who cited immigration as their top concern.

Haley was doing well with voters who prioritized foreign policy – a focus for her on the trail given her background at the United Nations, thumping Trump 69% to 29%. And although abortion was not a leading issue for many voters in New Hampshire, Haley, who has often called for a less confrontational approach on the matter, was outpacing Trump 62% to 27%.

Among New Hampshire voters who listed temperament as the top quality they were looking for in a candidate, Haley was crushing Trump 89% to 9%.