In Washington, D.C., former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley secured her first victory in the Republican presidential nomination race on Sunday. Despite this win, Haley’s triumph in the small primary is unlikely to significantly alter the overall trajectory of the competition.
The Washington primary, which saw only 19 delegates at stake, presented Haley with a notable opportunity to defeat former President Donald Trump. Unlike Trump, who had suffered a rare loss to Sen. Marco Rubio in the city’s primary back in 2016, Haley actively campaigned in Washington leading up to the contest.
Hosted at the Madison Hotel, Republicans in D.C. participated in the primary, which was organized by the D.C. GOP. The party chapter had to schedule the election over the weekend to comply with the national GOP’s regulations, which prohibit primaries allocating delegates to the Republican National Convention less than 45 days before the convention on July 15.
Before the Washington primary, Trump had a significant lead with 244 delegates compared to Haley’s mere 24. As the competition progresses to Super Tuesday on March 5, where 15 states will hold their primaries and a third of GOP delegates are up for grabs, Haley faces a tough road ahead, trailing behind Trump in polls.
Having vowed to compete until at least Super Tuesday, Haley’s strategy moving forward remains uncertain post this critical juncture. Despite facing an uphill battle against Trump’s dominance in the race so far, Haley’s determination to stay in contention demonstrates her commitment to the Republican primary.