Nikki Haley and Tim Scott, the two South Carolina Republicans battling for the presidency, are hoping their home state gives them the boost they need to challenge former President Donald Trump for the GOP nomination — with officials from both campaigns telling The Post they believe 77 The Palmetto State’s year-old voting lead is insurmountable.
Scott, 58, was appointed to the Senate by Haley, then the governor of South Carolina, in 2012 and has held the seat ever since.
“He’s campaigned big in Iowa and New Hampshire, but South Carolina — we have every intention of winning. And he wants to win his home state,” Scott’s campaign told The Post.
If the polls are correct, Scott needs a comeback unseen in modern American politics.
A Winthrop University poll on Tuesday showed Trump leading the field among registered South Carolina Republicans with 50.5% support, followed by Haley (16.6%) and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (12.1%). Scott was a distant fourth at 5.8%, ahead of entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy (5.1%).
Tim Scott speaks at the California Republican Party Convention. (AP/ Ashley Landis)AP
Scott’s campaign is banking on the name recognition of his successful bid for Senate re-election in 2022 and the support of more than 140 elected officials and 265 local grassroots leaders in the state, as well as what they call his “robust” fundraising operation and the campaign. land game.
“Every Republican who has voted in South Carolina voted for Tim Scott in the last election,” the official added. “His name recognition is much higher in South Carolina than anywhere else in the country.”
“I am humbled by the outpouring of support from grassroots leaders and activists from across my home state,” Scott told The Post. “I will continue to carry our conservative message from sea to shining sea. South Carolina is home, and I look forward to rallying support across the state so that together we can restore hope, create opportunity and protect the America we love.”
Nikki Haley speaks during the Republican presidential primary debate hosted at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)AP
Haley, meanwhile, enjoyed a fall surge in the polls after strong performances in the first two Republican primary debates.
Although she resigned as governor in 2017 to become Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, Haley’s campaign relied heavily on her track record, including tax cuts and unemployment.
The campaign has also touted several South Carolina events with crowds of more than 1,000, which officials say indicates a strong base of support in the state.
Nikki Haley speaks at a campaign event on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, in Clive, Iowa. (AP Photo/Meg Kinnard)AP
While Haley and Scott’s focus on their home states is understandable, veteran politicians warn that even if they pull off an unlikely success, it may be too late to stop Trump from claiming the nomination.
“South Carolina may be do or die. It also depends on what happened before that. If Trump rolls the states early, I’m not sure South Carolina will have much of an impact,” Republican strategist John Thomas told The Post.
“If they don’t win any early states, including South Carolina, I think that will be the final nail in the coffin.”
Donald Trump speaks at the California GOP convention on September 29, 2023, in Anaheim, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)Getty Images
“Both of them, I think, can afford to lose in South Carolina if they think they can make any claim to the nomination,” agreed Jason Roe, a Republican strategist and former executive director of the Michigan GOP.
The dynamic of the race also means Haley and Scott have been forced into increasingly heated conflict with each other, although Scott has insisted the two are “friends” and will remain so even after the election.
But good things were put aside in the second debate last week, with Scott falsely accusing Haley of buying $50,000 worth of curtains while she was ambassador to the UN and repeatedly claiming she proposed a gas tax increase during her governorship.
The New York Times originally reported Haley bought the curtain, but later updated their story to say it was purchased by the State Department under the Obama administration.
Haley is “from the same state so of course there will be people who have voted for both of them and have to choose. But I think at the end of the day, it’s about persuasion,” the Scott official said, arguing he could get “all the voters to rally around him.”
“Tim Scott’s message and personal story resonated with voters of all ages and backgrounds because of his optimistic vision for the country to create opportunity and restore hope. Tim will continue to be a candidate who is willing and able to go where no other candidate will, which is why the Left fears him the most,” spokeswoman Nicole Morales told The Post.
“South Carolinians know how hard Nikki fought for taxpayers and jobs, and how she took on the establishment and won when she became governor,” Haley’s representative Ken Farnaso said. “They saw the same toughness on the presidential debate stage and rallied to his side.
“He’s not taking it for granted but is confident he’ll do well at South Carolina.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
