After key victories for Donald Trump on this month’s Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire major, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley wants an enormous victory in her dwelling state of South Carolina on February 24.
But Haley has collected fewer endorsements in South Carolina than Trump. The former president has the help of outstanding South Carolina figures like Gov. Henry McMaster, Sens. Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott, and Rep. Nancy Mace, together with a raft of prime GOP state officers and state lawmakers.
It’s left Haley in a political conundrum. She wants to indicate Republicans throughout the nation that she will carry out effectively in her dwelling state in an effort to proceed her marketing campaign. But if she will’t generate new endorsements and vitality there — the place she served as governor from 2011 to 2017 — the place else can she do it?
Chip Felkel, a well known South Carolina GOP political guide, informed The New York Times that Haley’s dilemma is basically one in every of her personal making.
“She was good on economic development but not great on cultivating relationships,” he informed the newspaper. “She forgot who helped her get here.”
During a current look in New Hampshire, Haley mentioned that some South Carolina lawmakers had “no love” for her as a result of she ran an anti-establishment candidacy in 2010 that didn’t adhere to the state’s conventional political tradition.
Haley additionally mentioned some politicians in South Carolina did not like that she rejected pork barrel spending or pushed for better transparency within the legislature.
South Carolina Republican State Rep. Nathan Ballentine, a longtime Haley ally who’s backing her marketing campaign, informed The Times he was dismayed — however not shocked — that Republicans whom Haley supported are usually not returning the favor and as an alternative now lined up behind Trump.
“The good ol’ boys have never liked her,” he informed the newspaper.
As of January 27, Trump maintains a major lead in FiveThirtyEight’s weighted polling common of the South Carolina GOP major, with the previous president averaging 62.5% help and Haley averaging 29.2% help.