Major boost for Nikki Haley as she far surpasses Ron DeSantis for second place in New Hampshire – trailing Trump by only 15% in a poll just 37 days before the primary election

Donald Trump still has a lead in New Hampshire, but his lead is narrowing as a new poll shows Nikki Haley closing the gap on the ex-president, while also overtaking Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for second place .

Not only is the former U.N. ambassador 18 points ahead of DeSantis in New Hampshire, but she is also just 15 percent behind Trump, according to a new survey. CBS News/YouGov poll released on Sunday.

Twenty-nine percent of likely Republican primary voters in the Granite State favor Haley, with 55 percent of the electorate describing her as “likable,” compared to 37 percent who say the same about DeSantis and 36 percent who say the same about Trump.

DeSantis is just 1 percentage point ahead of former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who as the only remaining anti-Trump candidate has focused all his attention on capturing the New England state and has yet to set foot in Iowa for his campaign .

Trump has remained in the top spot in every national and statewide poll in the Republican presidential primaries, despite his refusal to participate in the debates. And the numbers released Sunday show there's still a chance for other candidates to close the gap before the Iowa caucuses kick off with primaries on Jan. 15.

New Hampshrie is holding its second primary with its election on January 23 – and the more liberal state of New England is showing a distaste for Trump.

In Iowa, Trump still leads the field of likely caucusgoers with 58 percent support, followed by DeSantis at 22 percent and Haley in third place at 13 percent, according to the CBS poll conducted Dec. 8-15.

The survey sampled 1,054 registered voters in Iowa and 85 in New Hampshire.

Several previous polls in Iowa have shown DeSantis and Haley tied for second place, but the latter shows an increase in the Hawkeye State for the Florida governor, who has a 9 percent lead.

DeSantis gained some momentum in Iowa by securing key endorsements from Governor Kim Reynolds and evangelical leader Bob Vander Plaats, among others. He also completed the “full Grassley,” meaning he visited every county in Iowa before caucus day.

This has likely kept him in a solid second place for most of the primaries thus far.

Moving to New Hampshire, Trump's first-place lead shrinks significantly, with just 44 percent support in the Granite State, compared to Haley's 29 percent and DeSantis's mere 11 percent.

DeSantis has seen a big drop in the polls during the New Hampshire primary season, most likely due to the fact that many Republican voters in New Hampshire are not as socially conservative as the Florida governor.

Haley – who has expressed more moderate social views, including on abortion – was able to overtake DeSantis in New Hampshire. The former South Carolina governor has also made significant gains among those who describe themselves as more moderate and independent.

Biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy had some early boosts in Iowa and New Hampshire, but has fallen by the wayside after some controversial positions and personal attacks during two separate debates in Miami, Florida and Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

In Iowa, Ramaswamy is fourth with 4 percent and in New Hampshire fifth with 5 percent.

Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, who has not made it to the debate stage since the first showdown in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is earning about 1 percent or less in the early primaries.