Nikki Haley has secured a victory over Donald Trump in the Republican primary held in Washington DC, marking her first win against the former president in the 2024 campaign for the Republican presidential candidacy. While she faced defeat in her home state of South Carolina, this achievement makes her the first woman to triumph in a Republican primary in US history.
Despite this notable win, Mr. Trump maintains a substantial lead over Ms. Haley, positioning himself as the likely Republican candidate to face Joe Biden in the upcoming November election. According to CBS, Ms. Haley will be awarded all 19 Republican delegates from Washington DC, bringing her total to 43 delegates nationwide—significantly fewer than Mr. Trump’s 247.
Ms. Haley, a former US ambassador to the UN, secured 62.9% of the vote compared to Mr. Trump’s 33.2%. However, this victory is largely symbolic, given that Washington DC is heavily inclined towards Democrats, with approximately 23,000 registered Republicans in the city.
In the recent Republican primary held in Washington DC, local party officials reported the participation of 2,035 Republicans, as per the Washington Post. Following her victory, Nikki Haley’s national campaign spokesperson, Olivia Perez-Cubas, remarked, “It’s not surprising that Republicans closest to Washington dysfunction are rejecting Donald Trump and all his chaos.”
However, the Trump Campaign swiftly dismissed Haley’s win, labeling her the “Queen of the Swamp.” Karoline Leavitt, press secretary for the Trump Campaign, stated, “While Nikki has been soundly rejected throughout the rest of America, she was just crowned Queen of the Swamp by the lobbyists and DC insiders that want to protect the failed status quo. The swamp has claimed their queen.”
Donald Trump has maintained dominance in every state primary or caucus so far in the Republican campaign and is anticipated to secure more delegates during Super Tuesday, the largest day of nominating contests. On this day, voters in 15 states and one US territory will nominate their candidate, with 874 Republican delegates’ support at stake. Despite the challenging competition, Nikki Haley has pledged to remain in the race until at least March 5, when numerous voters will cast their ballots on Super Tuesday.
