Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio are looking to build on their respective strong showings in Iowa by further distancing themselves from the crowded 2016 Republican presidential field in New Hampshire.

Having officially been declared the winner in the Hawkeye State, Yahoo reports Cruz has set his sights on completely pushing the likes of party front-runner Donald Trump and Ben Carson completely out of contention.

A recent University of Massachusetts-Lowell/7 News poll shows Trump holding a 24-point lead in New Hampshire (38 to 14), but having overcome all the obstacles that once also littered his path in Iowa, Cruz now seems largely unfazed by the early numbers.

In a clear knock on Trump, he told supporters his win was "a victory for every American who understands that after we survive eight long years of the Obama presidency, that no one personality can right the wrongs done by Washington."

The decision to sit out last week's final GOP debate before the polls opened also appears to have backfired on Trump, with entrance polls showing that about 45 percent of caucusgoers made up their minds about who to cast their ballot for over the past week, with most of those votes being cast for Cruz and Rubio.

Despite placing third in Iowa, Rubio is being praised for shrewdly playing the game of expectations, keeping them low throughout the campaign and closing strong over the final several weeks.

Chief rivals Jeb Bush, Chris Christie and John Kasich are all seen as now having the week until the New Hampshire primary to catch him or run the risk of seeing their campaigns fade into oblivion.

As for Trump, despite the apparent strength he has shown in early polling, word is his New Hampshire base lacks organization. Still, even in defeat, operatives for him remained boastful.

"He came from nowhere and has driven the ideas in this race," one aide told Yahoo following his concession in Iowa. The aide also disputed the notion Trump must win in New Hampshire to remain relevant, pointing to the large crowds he has attracted in upcoming voting states such as South Carolina, Texas, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

According to CBS, a recent Suffolk University poll has Trump leading in New Hampshire with 27 percent of the vote, followed by Bush, Cruz, Rubio and Kasich, all at roughly 11 percent.

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