Nikki Haley Steps Away Briefly to Visit Ailing Father

Presidential candidate Nikki Haley left the campaign trail briefly this week after her father Ajit Singh Randhawa, who is being treated for cancer, was hospitalized in South Carolina.

The GOP candidate returned to South Carolina late Tuesday but returned to New Hampshire on Wednesday for a rally, with the campaign saying he is "doing OK," ABC News political reporter Kelsey Walsh confirmed on X.

Haley, a former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador, is polling double digits behind Trump in New Hampshire, where she and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hope to hack away at former President Donald Trump's front-running lead among Republican voters, The Messenger reported.

Her campaign says it hopes the momentum from a strong showing in New Hampshire, the first primary state, will help her as she enters the race in her home state of South Carolina, where she is trailing Trump by more than 30 points, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average.

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