The race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination is heating up, with two prominent candidates, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis, vying for second place behind frontrunner Donald Trump. Recent polls and fundraising numbers suggest that Haley is gaining ground and posing a threat to DeSantis.
In her home state of South Carolina, Haley is polling in second place behind Trump, with 51 percent of Republican primary voters supporting the former UN ambassador.[0] DeSantis trails behind at 12 percent. Similarly, in New Hampshire, Haley is trailing Trump but leading DeSantis, with 19 percent of GOP primary voters supporting her compared to DeSantis’ 10 percent.
Haley is now in third place on a national level, with DeSantis closely trailing behind.[1] In a recent Fox News poll, she garnered 10 percent support, her best showing yet. Meanwhile, DeSantis received 12.9 percent support, and Trump remained in the lead with 58.3 percent support.[1]
Haley’s rising numbers in the polls and her impressive fundraising figures have caught the attention of her allies and supporters.[2] In the second quarter, DeSantis outpaced Haley in fundraising, pulling in $20.1 million compared to her $5.3 million.[3] However, in the last three months, Haley has closed the gap, raising $8.2 million while DeSantis’ fundraising has slowed to $11.2 million.[3] Haley now has over $9 million cash on hand for the primaries, surpassing DeSantis’ $5 million.[3]
The rivalry between Haley and DeSantis has intensified, with both campaigns engaging in attacks and counterattacks.[4] DeSantis’ camp hopes to undermine Haley’s growing support by scrutinizing her past statements on refugees and foreign policy. They argue that Haley primarily appeals to a smaller, anti-Trump segment of the Republican electorate and cannot win enough voters from the pro-Trump majority to defeat the former president in a head-to-head contest.[4]
Haley’s campaign, on the other hand, accuses DeSantis of falsely describing her stance on refugees and foreign policy. They argue that Haley is gaining momentum and closing the gap in key states like Iowa, where DeSantis initially had a significant lead. Haley’s team points to her cash advantage over DeSantis and her ability to appeal to a broader range of voters as strengths in the race.
The battle between Haley and DeSantis mirrors the 2016 Republican primary, where Trump’s lower-polling rivals focused their attacks on each other instead of the frontrunner.[4] Both Haley and DeSantis trail Trump by a significant margin in the polls, but their campaigns see a narrowing of the field as crucial to toppling the former president.
As the race for the Republican nomination continues, it remains to be seen whether Haley can maintain her upward trajectory and pose a real challenge to DeSantis and Trump. The upcoming Iowa Caucuses on January 15, 2024, will be a crucial test for Haley and her ability to position herself as the Trump alternative.[3] With her recent gains in the polls and fundraising, Haley’s arrow is pointing up, but there is still a long way to go in the race for the Republican nomination.
0. “Haley, DeSantis spar for second as 2024 primary closes in” The Hill, 22 Oct. 2023, https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4267759-haley-desantis-spar-for-second-as-2024-primary-closes-in
1. “GOP Presidential Candidate Nikki Haley Emerges as ‘Most Viable Alternative’ to Former President Trump” American Kahani, 16 Oct. 2023, https://americankahani.com/lead-stories/gop-presidential-candidate-nikki-haley-emerges-as-most-viable-alternative-to-former-president-trump/
2. “DeSantis PAC attack ad hits Nikki Haley on China, as 2024 presidential rivalry grows” CBS News, 23 Oct. 2023, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ron-desantis-pac-hits-nikki-haley-in-pac-attack-ad-china/
3. “Nikki Haley rising – POLITICO” POLITICO, 16 Oct. 2023, https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-nightly/2023/10/16/nikki-haley-rising-00121841
4. “Haley and DeSantis escalate their battle to become Trump alternative” The Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2023/10/21/haley-desantis-trump-presidential-race
