Despite former President Donald Trump's historic landslide win Monday in the Iowa caucuses, a former two-term Republican senator from New Hampshire predicted to Newsmax that Nikki Haley will defeat Trump "in a photo finish" in his state's primary Jan. 23.
"And Ron DeSantis will finish third," former Sen. Gordon Humphrey told Newsmax.
"Iowa is far more conservative than New Hampshire, and independents can vote in the Republican primary," he said.
At the Republican National Convention in Cleveland in 2016, Humphrey, one of the most conservative GOP senators during his 1978-90 tenure, revealed to Newsmax that he was switching from Republican to independent to protest Trump's nomination for president.
Humphrey had previously been a vigorous backer of Ohio Gov. John Kasich's presidential candidacy and, like Kasich, had become a "never Trumper."
As an independent voter, Humphrey said, "I intend to vote for Haley in the primary."
Humphrey also noted that the estimated 40,000 college students enrolled in New Hampshire "can vote in the primary irrespective of the state they call home. This is a huge number on a per capita basis of registered voters. And college students tend to be less conservative than older voters."
New Hampshire has 14.8% of its population enrolled as college students, one of the highest percentages in the nation.
As for DeSantis, seemingly given a boost a win for second place over Haley in Iowa, Humphrey said there are major differences between DeSantis' campaign in Iowa and that in New Hampshire.
"DeSantis had a huge ground team knocking on doors in Iowa and he doesn't have it here," Humphrey said. "He spent a lot of money in Iowa, but his spending here has not been on that scale. And he campaigned in every county in Iowa. He has not campaigned as extensively here."
Humphrey also said he thinks Haley's chances for an upset victory in New Hampshire will be boosted after receiving an endorsement and support from Gov. Chris Sununu.
Humphrey recalled how, in 1988, Sununu's father was also governor of New Hampshire and "the full support of Gov. John Sununu was a key reason for [then-Vice President] George H.W. Bush's come-from-behind win over Bob Dole [who had easily won the Iowa caucuses]."
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.