Trump Maintains Large Lead Over Haley

Former President Donald Trump held a significant lead over former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (R) in that state’s upcoming presidential primary. The news should provide a substantial boost to the former president after significant wins in both Iowa and New Hampshire. A further victory could cement Trump’s current march toward the nomination.

According to a recent poll, Trump now leads the primary with 66% of prospective Republican voters. In second place is Haley, who received 31% support.

Furthermore, among voters who supported Trump, 59% said they would “definitely” vote for him in the Feb. 24 primary. Among those who supported Haley, only 24% said the same.

Trump also has a large lead among South Carolina Republicans who approved of Haley’s time as governor between 2011 and 2019.

President Trump demolished DeSantis in Iowa. He handily defeated Haley in New Hampshire. He is going to win Nevada and South Carolina. NBC exit polling shows that by a 21 point margin NH GOP Primary voters think Trump is a better candidate to defeat Biden. The primary is over. pic.twitter.com/Sx6q3jK7Z9

— Garrett Ventry (@GarrettVentry) January 24, 2024

The Trump campaign also announced a spate of Republican endorsements in the state lately.

Trump defeated both Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in the Iowa caucus last month, securing an absolute majority of the vote. Following the caucus, both DeSantis and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy dropped out of the race and both endorsed Trump.

The Iowa caucus was then followed by the New Hampshire primary. Haley had received the endorsement of New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R), who had helped her among some residents of the Granite State. She also had the advantage of the state’s open primary, which allowed for non-Republicans to vote in the GOP primary election.

Despite Haley campaigning across the state, Trump again secured a significant majority of voters, again winning the race outright. Trump’s campaign relied heavily on campaign stops and the reputation of the former president.

Trump was also aided by the endorsement of both of South Carolina’s senators. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) was one of the first members of Congress to back the former president in his 2024 campaign. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) endorsed Trump following a brief presidential campaign and stumped for the former president in New Hampshire.