Nikki Haley has emerged victorious in the Republican primary in the District of Columbia, marking her first win in the 2024 campaign. This win temporarily halts Donald Trump’s dominance in the GOP voting contests, although Trump is expected to gain more delegates in the upcoming Super Tuesday races. Despite facing early losses, Haley has expressed her commitment to staying in the race through these contests, without naming any specific primary she believes she will win. Following her defeat in South Carolina, Haley emphasized the importance of providing voters in other states with an alternative to Trump.
The Associated Press declared Haley the winner of the D.C. primary after the release of results by Republican Party officials. She will receive all 19 delegates from this contest, bringing her total delegate count to 43 nationwide, significantly behind Trump’s 247 delegates. Haley’s victory in D.C. also makes her the first woman to win a Republican primary in U.S. history. Her campaign spokesperson highlighted the rejection of Trump and his chaos by Republicans in Washington, a heavily Democratic jurisdiction with a small number of registered Republicans, where President Biden won with 92% of the vote in the 2020 election.
Prior to her win in D.C., Haley held a rally in the nation’s capital and then proceeded to North Carolina and other states with upcoming Super Tuesday primaries. During the rally, Haley interacted with over 100 supporters and emphasized the need to connect with as many people as possible. She criticized Trump for increasing the federal deficit, with one rallygoer expressing concern that Trump cannot win a general election, a sentiment that Haley agreed with. Haley positions herself as someone who can deny Biden a second term, unlike Trump. While Haley campaigns as a conservative, she tends to perform better among moderate and independent-leaning voters.
In previous elections, Trump won an uncontested D.C. primary in 2020 but placed third in 2016 behind Marco Rubio and John Kasich. Rubio’s victory in D.C. was one of only three in his unsuccessful 2016 campaign. More centrist Republicans like Mitt Romney and John McCain have won the city’s primaries in the past on their way to securing the GOP nomination. Haley’s win in D.C. reflects a shift in the preferences of Republican voters in the area, who may be seeking an alternative to Trump. Despite Trump’s overall dominance in the race, Haley’s victory in D.C. signifies a potential turning point in the Republican primary contest.
