At a town hall in Iowa on Friday, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and GOP presidential hopeful Nikki Haley expressed her unwavering determination to secure victory in her home state of South Carolina, where she once served as governor.
As reported by Mediaite, Haley said, "Get used to this face; I'm not going anywhere," outlining her strategy to earn trust and votes while emphasizing that the upcoming Republican primary would not mirror the dynamics of the 2016 election.
During her speech, Haley underscored the significance of "making it to the debate stage," noting the dwindling number of candidates in each successive debate. Anticipating the Dec. 6 debate in Alabama, she predicted a further reduction to "three candidates on stage."
She envisioned a strategic battle, with contenders dropping out after Iowa and New Hampshire, culminating in a "head-to-head" showdown with former President Donald Trump in her home state.
The first female governor in South Carolina, Haley aspires to make history again by becoming the first woman to become president. However, Trump's continued strong lead in the state, despite facing 91 felony charges, poses a formidable challenge, according to the Carolina News & Reporter.
Polling data from FiveThirtyEight on Oct. 26 indicated Trump maintaining a 48.6% lead in South Carolina, with Haley trailing at 18.8%.
In an interview with Carolina News & Reporter, Celia Hadjin, president of Students for Haley at the University of South Carolina, emphasized the necessity for the Republican nomination to go to a candidate capable of defeating President Joe Biden.
Hadjin said Haley is that candidate: "I think if it comes back to Trump or Biden [in the general election], that could go either way. But Nikki can beat him."
The unique dynamics of the current primary contest, with no direct historical comparisons due to Trump's commanding lead, were highlighted by University of South Carolina professor of political science Robert Oldendick.
He said: "It would be historic because usually, when you have a primary contest like this, like even if you go back to Republicans in 2016, where you had a number of candidates, all of them had, in the beginning, this far out, they had some support."
Haley occupies the second position in South Carolina, trailing only behind Trump, according to the RealClearPolitics average of polls. Trump commands a formidable lead at 49.3%, followed by Haley at 18.8%, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 10.5%, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy at 3%. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who recently withdrew from the race, retains the support of 8.8% of the electorate in the poll average.
The Republican presidential primary in South Carolina, scheduled for Feb. 24, 2024, is pivotal as the first primary in the South.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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