Trump easily defeated Haley by roughly 20 points in her home state of South Carolina
Nikki Haley is not giving up despite a disappointing performance in the primary election in her home state of South Carolina. The former U.N. ambassador is staying true to her pledge to remain in the GOP presidential primary race and is pinning her hopes on the upcoming Super Tuesday contests next month, where 15 states — representing just over a third of all delegates — will be in play.
Addressing a crowd of supporters at her election night watch party in Charleston, South Carolina, Haley emphasized the importance of the upcoming elections, stating, “America will come apart if we make the wrong choices. This has never been about me or my political future. We need to beat Joe Biden in November. I don’t believe Donald Trump can beat Joe Biden.”
“I said earlier this week that regardless of the outcome in South Carolina, I would persist in running for President. I am committed to my word. I refuse to surrender this battle at a time when a majority of Americans disapprove of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden,” she asserted, emphasizing that voters in Michigan and the Super Tuesday states deserve to have a choice as they head to the polls over the next 10 days.
Haley is now heading to Michigan, where GOP primary voters will cast their ballots next Tuesday. However, only a fraction of the state’s 55 delegates are at stake, with the remainder to be determined at 13 congressional district meetings scheduled for March 2.
Limited polling data indicates that Trump may maintain a significant advantage in the state. However, regardless of the outcome, Haley’s campaign seems poised to make Super Tuesday the ultimate showdown against Trump’s dominant position within the Republican Party.
On March 5, voters in Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia will all participate in the primaries to choose between Trump and Haley.
During a press call with reporters on Friday, Haley’s campaign manager Betsy Ankney revealed a seven-figure ad purchase across the Super Tuesday states. This significant investment was the clearest indication yet, before the South Carolina primary, that Haley intended to remain in the race regardless of the outcome on Saturday.
In his victory speech in South Carolina, Trump also declared his intention to persist in winning over voters in Michigan and the Super Tuesday states.
“It’s still early, but it’s a fantastic evening,” Trump addressed a crowd of supporters at the South Carolina state fairgrounds in Columbia, the state capital. This statement came just moments after polls closed and he was declared the victor.
“Enjoy the celebration for 15 minutes, but then it’s time to get back to work,” he added.
In terms of securing the delegates required for either candidate to secure the Republican nomination for president, Haley is confronted with an exceedingly difficult challenge to make the race competitive.
Trump, who began the South Carolina primary with 63 delegates compared to Haley’s 17, is on track to potentially reach the 1,215 delegates required to secure the nomination by late March, at the earliest. This projection is based on the number of delegates available in the states scheduled to hold primaries between now and then, as well as the allocation method for those delegates.