Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is hoping a win in New Hampshire will take her through her home base of South Carolina and the rest of the 2024 race.
New Hampshire is Haley’s Holy Grail because of the overwhelming majority of independents who can pull the lever for her in the state’s 39% unaffiliated voters.
Polling numbers show him surging in the Granite State, even within four percentage points of Donald Trump in one poll.
But the “momentum” the Haley camp is hoping for may be short-lived.
According to the RealClearPolitics average, Haley is polling at 21.8% in South Carolina to Trump’s 52%, and is still more than 20 points behind the former president in the Granite State.
The former UN ambassador must also overcome other obstacles to win the nomination.
Nikki Haley speaks at a campaign town hall in Rye, New Hampshire, January 2, 2024. REUTERS
In Nevada, which votes in early February, Haley is the only top GOP candidate running in the Feb. 6 primary and is ineligible to win any delegates.
All other White House candidates are running in the caucuses, which are run by the state Republican party and will be held two days later.
Haley’s possible “victory” in the Nevada primary could give her easy media coverage, but the results of the election will only be announced after the caucuses, potentially giving her no surprise at all.
New Hampshire Strategy
Haley’s New Hampshire-centric strategy has become clearer lately, with the candidate telling voters in Milford that they can “fix” the Iowa result and GOP Gov. Chris Sununu predicting she will win her state.
“You know Iowa started it. You know that you fixed it … you know that my sweet state of South Carolina brought it home,” Haley said at a town hall Wednesday night.
He defended his comments at an Iowa town hall Thursday night in response to jeers from the audience, saying he was “having fun” and trying to inspire “banter” between early states.
The former South Carolina governor has been vague about his finish targets in either state, saying only that he wants to be Trump’s primary challenger.
Sununu offered the clearest prediction yet from his camp on Wednesday, guaranteeing he would beat Trump in New Hampshire and deliver a “powerful moment” in Iowa.
Haley’s campaign told The Post that it sees the Granite State race as a straight fight against Trump.
“This is a two-person race between Donald Trump and Nikki Haley. Trump spent millions on attack ads against Nikki because he was scared. Nikki was on the job, shaking hands and answering every question. We’re excited to continue building on our momentum,” spokeswoman Haley AnnMarie Graham-Barnes told The Post.
A pro-Trump super PAC, MAGA Inc., recently released an ad in New Hampshire targeting Haley over her stance on the federal gas tax. Trump’s campaign also released ads about his immigration policy.
Raised in Iowa
Haley has also campaigned heavily in Iowa and has seen some movement in the polls — but not as much as New Hampshire.
His dash for the caucus was boosted by a November endorsement from the American Prosperity Foundation, a Charles Koch-funded organization with aggressive grassroots capabilities. Since then, surrogates have been trying to convince voters to elect Haley, but have been chasing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who had set his sights on Iowa earlier in the fall.
Nikki Haley poses with young supporters during a campaign town hall event at Wentworth by the Sea Country Club in Rye, New Hampshire. AFP via Getty Images
DeSantis, who had slipped in the polls, moved most of his staff to Des Moines and dedicated time to visiting every one of the state’s 99 counties, a feat known as “Full Grassley,” a reference to the longtime Republican. senator.
Haley’s focus is more on Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, rather than DeSantis’ “Iowa-or-bust” strategy, her campaign previously told The Post.
Haley will continue to campaign in Iowa and New Hampshire before early voters make up their minds on January 15 and January 23, respectively. He plans to go to the Hawkeye State with Sununu on Saturday to strike three cities with the governor.
He is also scheduled to participate in a debate with DeSantis on January 10 in Iowa, a few days before the caucus, and will likely debate him again in New Hampshire on January 18 and 21.
Home area of South Carolina
Haley’s campaign previously told The Post it expects to win the South Carolina primary on February 24.
Win or lose, the decision will be monumental for Haley, who served as the state’s two-term governor. Top elected officials, including Governor Henry McMaster and US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), have endorsed Trump.
Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), who clashed with Haley on the campaign trail before dropping out of the 2024 race, has yet to make an endorsement.
An Emerson College poll released Friday showed Haley polling 29 points behind Trump, 54% to 25%.
Doing well in Iowa and New Hampshire will be the ticket if Haley has any hope in her home states, South Carolina-based GOP strategist Dave Wilson told The Post.
“Nikki Haley needs to show that she can finish first or second very strongly in Iowa and New Hampshire to come into South Carolina with enough momentum to overcome Donald Trump,” Wilson said.
“The lead is a solid 25-plus points, and it will take a lot of momentum and traction for Haley to overcome it in a state where the plurality wins all the delegates.”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
