Nikki Haley needed a miracle last Tuesday (January 23rd); a miracle that she shouldn’t have needed, especially in New Hampshire. New Hampshire is viewed as the most “independent state” when it comes to voters and elections. New Hampshire’s voter makeup is as follows:
Registered Democrats: 303,060 (30.28%)
Registered Republicans: 298,470 (29.82%)
And finally, Unaffiliated (independent voters): 399,395 (39.90%)
Data per https://independentvoterproject.org/voter-stats/nh
Haley, described as a “true Conservative” is often viewed as the moderate version of Former President Donald Trump, and the more “mentally stable” version of Trump according to Haley.
Haley’s cards were all falling into line right up to the election, her main opponent, Ron Desantis of Flordia, dropped out after a tough Iowa loss. She was beaming in the polls, and she received the support of the most influential person in New Hampshire: their beloved Governor, Chris Sununu.
Haley finally had gotten her wish of a two-person race between her and Former President Trump but then ultimately failed in the one state where she was almost guaranteed a victory. To many, justification for Haley remaining in the now weeded-out Republican Primary is long gone. According to experts, Haley should have either won the race or lost between 5-10 points, as a double-digit loss would be detrimental. Haley lost by roughly 11%, proving that Trump’s gag on the Republican Party is strong. Even in the most independent state, he remains in control.
Although there is a disappointing grey cloud over the Haley campaign this week, Haley has touted the big differences between her (weaker) finish in Iowa and her 2nd place spot in New Hampshire. Haley just over doubled her results from her tragic 3rd place spot behind Ron Desantis in Iowa, which does show a gain in momentum.
Haley moves on to Nevada next, where she will be the only Republican on the Primary ballot. The other candidates Donald Trump and lesser-known Ryan Binkley will appear on a Republican Party-led caucus ballot, where official delegates will be awarded. In other words, Haley will win the Primary, while Trump will win the Caucus. In this case, the Caucus is the more important of the two.
After Nevada, the candidates will visit Haley’s home state of South Carolina, the same state where she was Governor for 6 years, and won two statewide elections. South Carolina will be the final test to see if Haley can pull off a long-shot victory on the Republican National Convention stage.
Former President Trump maintains his messaging in South Carolina and Nevada, tearing down any chances of Haley’s victory, and continuously aiming to sweep the next few primaries and caucuses in his favor.
Where things stand, Donald Trump leads the pack with the most delegates awarded.
Donald Trump: 32 Delegates
Nikki Haley: 17 Delegates
Ron Desantis ( Dropped Out ): 9 Delegates
Vivek Ramaswamy ( Dropped Out ) 3 Delegates
Both Ron Desantis and Vivek Ramaswamy endorsed Former President Trump in the race for the Republican Nomination.
