For Jon Huntsman, it's New Hampshire or bust - CBS News

By Lucy Madison Topics Campaign 2012 Republican 2012 presidential hopeful, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, second from left, enters Joey's Diner in Amherst, N.H., Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011, for a meet and greet with potential supporters.

(Credit: AP Photo/Cheryl Senter) Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman is moving his campaign headquarters to New Hampshire, his campaign said Thursday, making it all but official that the former Utah governor is pinning his hopes on a strong performance in the Granite State to keep his presidential momentum alive.

The campaign will move its headquarters from Orlando, Florida, to Manchester, New Hampshire tomorrow, Huntsman spokesman Tim Miller said. Significant layoffs will result from the move.

Huntsman campaign manager Matt David noted in a statement that "success in New Hampshire is vital for our campaign."

"As evidenced by recent polling Jon Huntsman's support with New Hampshire voters continues to grow every day and this move will ensure that we have the resources necessary to win the First in the Nation primary," he said. "Success in New Hampshire is vital for our campaign to have the momentum we need to succeed in South Carolina, Florida, and the states that follow."

The New Hampshire primary, an open primary which follows the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses, will be a crucial test for the former ambassador to China: The candidate has struggled to break two percent in national polls, and until recently it was not clear if he would be allowed to compete in CNN's Republican presidential debate on October 18. (That poll requires candidates to have two percentage points in at least three national polls - a goal Huntsman achieved with the Thursday release of a Fox News poll that showed him with four percent support.)

The Huntsman campaign has spent significant time and effort on the ground in New Hampshire, and he's expected to devote himself to building up that base over the next few months.

A recent Suffolk University survey showed Huntsman with relatively strong support in New Hampshire, polling at ten percent - coming in third behind Mitt Romney (41 percent) and Ron Paul (14 percent). A moderate on social issues, Huntsman is believed to have a far better chance in the "live free or die" state than in other early states like Iowa and South Carolina, where religious conservatives make up the majority of the GOP electorate.

If he were to win in New Hampshire, it would likely give Huntsman the momentum - and money - with which to continue on in the race. Huntsman's challenge, however, will be taking out Romney in a state where the former Massachusetts governor also has strong ties - and who has been investing his resources heavily there.

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