The Hill News

A poor showing in New Hampshire isn't an option, presidential candidate Jon Huntsman said Monday.

Responding to a question on CNBC about whether the former Utah governor would continue in the race if he didn't have a strong showing in New Hampshire, Huntsman said that wasn't an option.

"Not performing well in New Hampshire isn't an option," Huntsman said on CNBC. "We're gonna do well in New Hampshire because New Hampshire rewards hard work and those who actually earn it," Huntsman said. "So New Hampshire is where we're placing our bet. We've got two months in which to make it happen."

Huntsman is staking his candidacy on doing well in the early primary state and then using momentum from a win there to catapult him to more victories.

Huntsman appears to be sincere in his confidence of a strong showing in the state, as he's also been making campaign stops recently in other early-voting states like Florida and South Carolina.