New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) believes that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) would win the New Hampshire GOP primary if the election was held today.
Despite mulling a 2024 run of his own, Sununu was resolute that DeSantis could win the Granite State as well as Florida, suggesting that Republicans in those two states are eager to move on from former President Donald Trump.
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"If the election were today, Ron DeSantis would win in New Hampshire. There's no doubt about that in my mind, I think Ron DeSantis would win in Florida. I think the former president is trying to find a path to be back [to] that leading voice of the party," Sununu told NBC's Meet the Press.
WATCH: @GovChrisSununu says if the election were held today, "Ron DeSantis would win in New Hampshire."
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) March 5, 2023
"A vast majority of the party [is] looking for an alternative [to Trump]. ... It's kind of the antithesis of the American spirit to settle for yesterday's news." pic.twitter.com/DzhLCOsvMA
Sununu has been a staunch critic of Trump but has also taken aim at DeSantis's approach to governance for being too heavy-handed with government powers in the culture wars. He has formed the "Live Free or Die" committee to test the presidential waters.
Since debuting his 2024 campaign, Trump has positioned himself as an outsider despite having led the party for four years during his administration. During his recent address to the Conservative Political Action Conference, Trump vowed that "we're never going back to the party of Paul Ryan, Karl Rove, and Jeb Bush."
"I think the former president has his own lane. He doesn't need to carve anything. He's an absolute known commodity to every American in this country," Sununu said of Trump when asked about how he's cast himself as an outsider. "A vast majority of the party [is] looking for an alternative."
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DeSantis has been coy about whether he will jump into the 2024 GOP fray but is speculated to be eyeing his decision after the Florida state legislature wraps up its business in May. Polls have roundly pegged him as the most formidable challenger to Trump.
On Sunday, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) bowed out of consideration for the GOP primary, citing concerns that a "pileup of a bunch of people fighting" could pave the way for Trump to once again clinch the party nod.