SC’s Nikki Haley leaves presidential race after one Super Tuesday win
After winning only one state in Republican presidential primaries on Super Tuesday, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley dropped out of the presidential race.
The former ambassador to the United Nations delivered remarks Wednesday morning ending her campaign for the White House in a speech in Charleston.
Haley won’t endorse Wednesday. She plans to encourage former President Donald Trump, who is close to having the delegates needed to win the GOP nomination, to earn the support of Republicans and independent voters who backed her.
According to polling, Haley had strength among suburban women and independents, both key demographics in winning general elections. Haley often performed better than Trump in hypothetical head-to-head match-ups against President Joe Biden.
Haley only won Vermont’s GOP primary on Super Tuesday making it the second contest where she was victorious in the Republican presidential process. Haley won the District Columbia on Sunday.
However, Trump dominated the Super Tuesday contests as he continues his march to the nomination.
According to CNN’s estimated delegate count, Trump has 1,040 delegates. Haley has 86. A candidate needs 1,215 delegates to secure the nomination.
Haley crisscrossed the country ahead of the Super Tuesday but had no events scheduled after Tuesday’s contests.
GOP elected officials have been calling for Haley, the last standing candidate remaining challenging Trump, to drop out for the sake of party unity.
“Unity is not achieved by simply claiming ‘we’re united,’” said Haley national spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas. “Today, in state after state, there remains a large block of Republican primary voters who are expressing deep concerns about Donald Trump. That is not the unity our party needs for success. Addressing those voters’ concerns will make the Republican Party and America better.”
This story was originally published March 6, 2024 at 7:25 AM.
