Nikki Haley Faces One-on-One Match-Up with Donald Trump in Republican Presidential Race
The race for the Republican presidential nomination is heating up as Nikki Haley prepares to go head-to-head with former President Donald Trump. With Ron DeSantis suspending his campaign, Haley finally gets the one-on-one match-up she has been longing for. However, her showdown with Trump may not turn out as she had hoped.
Haley’s hopes for a momentum boost heading into New Hampshire were dashed when DeSantis edged ahead of her for second place in Iowa’s caucuses. Now, with DeSantis out of the picture and endorsing Trump, it seems the field thinning has played mostly to the advantage of the former president. In fact, most public-opinion surveys indicate that a clear majority of DeSantis supporters view Trump as the next best option.
A recent CNN/University of New Hampshire poll found that 62% of DeSantis backers in the state named Trump as their second choice, while only 30% named Haley. These numbers are not favorable for Haley, who has been focusing on New Hampshire as the place to give her campaign the necessary boost to challenge Trump seriously.
Haley’s strategy of targeting New Hampshire seemed sound on paper. The state’s Republican primary is open to independent voters, allowing moderates who may not align with Trump’s conservative populism to have a say. Additionally, the state has a higher number of college graduates in its population, which is one of Haley’s strongest demographics.
In recent months, Haley has seen her support rise in New Hampshire as she positions herself as the clear alternative to Trump. She brings people skills that DeSantis lacked and has taken a different path by positioning herself to the right of Trump. Her campaign has been described as a throwback to a pre-Trump era in the Republican Party, with more compromise in her message and a focus on policy rather than grievance politics and conspiracy theories. She also supports continuing US funding of the Ukraine war.
However, despite these efforts, it may not be enough for Haley to defeat Trump in New Hampshire. If she fails to do so, it is unclear where she might prevail, even in her home state of South Carolina, where Trump is immensely popular and has the support of almost every other state Republican official.
For anti-Trump Republicans, the lament has always been that a majority in the party did not want to see him as the nominee again, but the field against him was simply too divided. The theory that if they could unite behind one candidate victory would be within reach will finally be put to the test in New Hampshire on Tuesday.
The Republican presidential race is far from over, and the battle between Haley and Trump will undoubtedly be intense. As the primary season progresses, it remains to be seen whether Haley can overcome the obstacles in her path and emerge as a true contender for the nomination.