As the first state to hold a primary, New Hampshire voters have a unique opportunity to engage with candidates over an extended period. 

Every four years, as presidential candidates descend upon the Granite State, New Hampshire voters tend to have a preference for those who personally connect by showing up, shaking hands and fielding questions.

“We are used to asking them direct questions and we expect direct answers, and we make better candidates and better presidents as a result,” said Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire.  

How much money did Republicans put into New Hampshire? 

When New Hampshire voters went to the polls, there were two Republican candidates left in the race: Former President Donald Trump and former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley. But there were more candidates who had already dropped out on the ballot — and who had spent money trying to win the state. 

According to AdImpact, an ad-tracking firm, nearly $300 million has been spent in the pursuit of the Republican presidential nomination, with two-thirds of this expenditure allocated to the initial two nominating states, Iowa and New Hampshire.

The majority of this financial influx comes from super PACs and external organizations.

A closer look at advertising spending data reveals that the Haley sSuper PAC has significantly outpaced the Trump super PAC in expenditures on New Hampshire advertisements in an attempt to best the former president.

The Haley campaign spent close to $30 million on boosting her campaign in New Hampshire and made more than 100 campaign stops in the state, according to the campaign.

According to Mark Harris, a consultant for American Association of Political Consultant, which runs a super PAC for the Haley campaign, the money poured into the Granite State was meant to help elevate their presence and securing 40% or more of the votes was their goal. 

Harris said New Hampshire was supposed to narrow the competition for Haley.

“Our goal was always to get to a two person race by South Carolina. So, the fact that that happened is a huge win for us,” Harris said. 

The PAC is prepared to spend as much as it needs to in South Carolina, he told reporters on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Trump spent almost $13 million and made just 16 stops in the state, according to CBS data.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who withdrew from the race just two days before the primary, committed significantly less time and resources in the state compared to his rivals. The former candidate spent about $8 million in New Hampshire, with no additional spending beyond Iowa.

The DeSantis campaign, along with three super PACs, didn’t spent money on New Hampshire ads, underscoring the lack of confidence the candidate had in the state. The candidate made 48 stops in the Granite State.

“We don’t have a clear path to victory,” DeSantis said in a video posted on X. 

How much money did Democrats spend in New Hampshire? 

For Democrats, things were a little different this year, since President Biden did not spend any time in the state and his name wasn’t even on the ballot. His supporters launched a massive write-in effort, but the Democratic party says that it wouldn’t be allocating any delegates to the winner of Tuesday’s unsanctioned primary. 

Mr.  Biden broke New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation tradition by skipping the Democratic primary, a departure from the revised nominating calendar prioritizing South Carolina. New Hampshire decided to hold its primary first anyway, so as a result, the Democratic party has said it will not reward any delegates from Tuesday’s primary at the convention in August. But although Mr. Biden is not appearing on the ballot, his supporters launched a write-in effort so he can at least take a symbolic victory. 

Mr. Biden’s allies, including Granite for America, a super PAC led by Kathy Sullivan, former chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, have vigorously backed him in the state, spending over $1.2 million on ads and mail, according to Politico and The Washington Post. And Democratic leaders like Rep. Ro Khanna from California and Hassan have made efforts to meet voters around the Granite State, asking them to write Mr. Biden’s name on the ballot.

Rep. Dean Phillips, a longshot Democratic challenger who has campaigned saying Mr. Biden’s age will keep him from beating Trump in November, has spent $5 million of his own wealth in New Hampshire.

Why do candidates spend so much time and money in New Hampshire? 

The state’s early contest and importance in the primary race means that many in New Hampshire can become familiar with the candidates either from television or repeated public appearances. 

“What’s unique about New Hampshire in this capacity, we have to vet candidates in a way and give them a wide range of experiences in a small state,” Hassan said. “You don’t need a big war chest or a big entourage to make your case.”