Nikki Haley’s victory in the Republican primary in the District of Columbia marks her first win of the 2024 campaign, temporarily interrupting Donald Trump’s dominance in the GOP voting contests.
Despite her earlier losses, Haley has pledged to stay in the race through Super Tuesday, though she has not singled out any specific primary where she feels confident of winning.
The Associated Press declared Haley the winner after she secured all 19 delegates at stake in D.C. This victory is significant as it makes her the first woman to win a Republican primary in history.
Nikki Haley (Credits: Axios)
However, Washington, D.C., being heavily Democratic, with only about 23,000 registered Republicans, makes this win more symbolic than a reflection of broader support within the party.
In response to Haley’s victory, Trump’s campaign issued a statement sarcastically congratulating her, labeling her the “Queen of the Swamp” by lobbyists and D.C. insiders. Trump remains a dominant force in the GOP primaries, likely to gain several hundred more delegates in Super Tuesday races.
Haley’s campaign has focused on presenting an alternative to Trump, criticizing his handling of the federal deficit and arguing that she can deny Joe Biden a second term more effectively than Trump.
Haley has tended to perform better among moderate and independent-leaning voters, with four in 10 of her supporters in South Carolina’s GOP primary identifying as moderates.
Trump won an uncontested D.C. primary during his 2020 reelection bid but placed third in 2016 behind Sen. Marco Rubio and former Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Other more centrist Republicans, such as Mitt Romney and John McCain, have won the city’s primaries in the past on their way to winning the GOP nomination.
