Trump will file for New Hampshire presidential primary in person ahead of campaign rally

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump on Monday will formally file for the New Hampshire presidential primary ahead of a campaign rally in Derry.

It will be Trump’s second trip to the secretary of state’s office. Eight years ago, he signed up for the 2016 contest on the first day of the filing period, then sent Vice President Mike Pence to file his paperwork for the 2020 primary. He won both primaries but lost the state in the general election.

Candidates this year have until Oct. 27 to officially sign up, and dozens are expected to do so. The process is easy: They need only meet the basic requirements to be president, fill out a one-page form and pay a $1,000 filing fee.

The first to sign up this year was Mark Stewart Greenstein, who arrived at the Statehouse at 6:30 a.m. the day registration opened and paid his fee in cash, which included $400 in $2 bills. Greenstein got 31 votes when he ran in 2020.

In 2020, 33 Democrats and 17 Republicans signed up. The all-time high was 1992, when 61 people got on the ballot.

In contrast to current polls that show Trump with a wide lead among New Hampshire Republicans, he was in second place behind retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson in some national polls when he signed up in 2015. He used the experience that day, in part, to boast about his personal wealth.

“They wanted a cashier’s check,” Trump said. “So this is from a bank that’s not actually as rich as we are.”