Nikki Haley's supporters could determine the presidential election

2024-07-02 15:10:18, Kosova & Bota CNA

Nikki Haley's supporters could determine the presidential election

Photomontage, AP

Former South Carolina governor and former US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, continued to attract the support of Republican voters long after she withdrew from the presidential race. VOA Correspondent Dora McCourt takes a look at how Ms. Haley's supporters could influence the winner of the election between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

Nearly three months after suspending her presidential campaign, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley announced that on November 5 she will vote for former President Donald Trump.

" Biden has been a disaster. So I'm going to vote for Trump ," said former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley.

But not all her supporters are following in the footsteps of the former governor. In March 2024, an Emerson College poll showed that the number of Ms. Haley voters who would support Mr. Biden was likely twice as high as those who would support Mr. Trump. Other polls suggest that at least half of Ms. Haley's voters will not vote for former President Trump.

"I was upset to hear that Nikki didn't get enough votes to stay in the race. However, I am not a supporter of President Trump. I'm very worried about the Republican Party," says Chris, a supporter of Nikki Haley.

"I don't want to see either Trump or Biden in the White House next year," says John Sulkowski, supporter of Nikki Haley.

"No one excites me. I supported Trump and maybe I would lean towards him again", says Jennifer Mayser, a supporter of Nikki Haley.

Ms. Haley says former President Trump must make an effort to convince her voters.

"Trump needs to be smart and approach the millions of people who voted for me and who continue to support me and not take it for granted that he will have their support . "

Ms. Haley's supporters could play a decisive role in the winner of the presidential election. In the April primary in Pennsylvania, Ms. Haley was supported by a quarter of Republican voters in the state's wealthy suburbs, even though she had dropped out of the race weeks earlier. Analyzes of the 2020 presidential elections suggest that thanks to the support of voters in the suburbs, Mr. Biden managed to secure the lead in the elections.

Ms. Haley managed to secure strong support in swing states, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada and Wisconsin.

"We saw an increase in the number of educated and wealthy Republicans who were inclined to support Nikki Haley. I think independent voters were among them. I think that some of them will have a decisive role for the winner of the November elections ", says Dante Scala from the University of New Hampshire.

"How are you going to secure the support of Ms. Haley's voters," a reporter asked former President Trump.

"I'm not sure if we need many of her supporters ," he replied.

President Biden is actively trying to sway Ms. Haley's supporters with ads like this one, in which Mr. Trump is seen criticizing Ms. Haley, whom he nominated as ambassador to the United Nations. It is part of a broader strategy by Mr. Biden's campaign to woo Republicans who oppose Mr. Trump.

"She's crazy. He is a very angry man," Mr. Trump is heard saying in Democrat Biden's election ad.

"So far, Mr. Trump's challenge is to consolidate the support of Nikki Haley's voters. I don't know if you call it a Republican vote, but he needs to secure a high number of Ms. Haley's votes," said Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia.

So far there has been no sustained public effort by Mr. Trump's campaign team to woo voters who backed Ms. Haley in the Republican primary. Although, in a close race, these supporters can be decisive in the outcome of the elections./ VOA