In the 2008 Republican nomination contest, Mitt Romney's campaign invested heavily in the New Hampshire, but ultimately came up short to eventual nominee John McCain.

[3] In 2012, Romney, Texas Congressman Ron Paul, former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum were heavily contesting and campaigning in the New Hampshire primary.

[4] For instance, Stewart Greenleaf, who had no interest in becoming president, registered for the ballot to promote the issue of government spending in the Republican Party.

[5] Under New Hampshire's lenient ballot access laws, a candidate is only required to pay $1,000 to the state's treasury, and needs no party approval or petitions for placement.

Bettencourt of the Republican-heavy Salem area, elected state House majority leader in 2011, who is one of Romney's most active supporters.

[22] The New York Times reported that so many officials endorsed Romney that it took a three-page pamphlet mailed to New Hampshire Republicans to list them all.

The Times reported that Romney-supporting officials "introduce him at virtually every campaign stop, flood gyms and seniors centers with crowds on short notice and attack his Republican rivals.

[35] Notably, former PA Sen. Rick Santorum gained a disproportionately high number of endorsements (when compared to his pre-Iowa polling in the single digits) in the run up to and including the NH Primary.