Republican presidential candidates Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum tried to chip away at Mitt Romney's lead in New Hampshire as the front-runner looked ahead on the primary calendar and headed to South Carolina.
"There is a very big difference in our two sets of values," Mr Gingrich said of Mr Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, during a campaign stop today at a seniors' centre in Plymouth, New Hampshire.
"I don't believe a Massachusetts moderate is in a very good position to debate
Barack Obama."
Mr Santorum criticised both Mr Romney and Mr Gingrich for in the past supporting mandates that require people to buy health insurance.
"You need to nominate someone who presents a very clear contrast" with the president, Mr Santorum told about 80 voters at a Rotary Club breakfast in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Mr Romney has become the main target of attacks from rivals after winning the Iowa caucuses earlier this week, beating Mr Santorum by eight votes, with each winning just under 25 per cent of the vote.
Mr Romney has long led in polls of the Republican race in New Hampshire, which holds its primary on January 10th.
Mr Romney has the support of 41 per cent of likely Republican primary voters in New Hampshire, according to a two-day Suffolk University/7 News tracking poll released today.
US Representative Ron Paul of Texas was backed by 18 per cent, compared with 8 per cent for Mr Santorum and 7 per cent for both Mr Gingrich and former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman.
Mr Romney also had 41 percent support in the poll a day before the Iowa caucuses, and Mr Paul was second with 15 per cent.
Bloomberg