Haley reels from stinging loss in Nevada, while Trump seeks to clean up delegates
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Mrs Nikki Haley lost Nevada after securing just 31 per cent in the ballots, well behind the 63 per cent of the ballots cast for “none of these candidates,” according to Nevada election officials.
PHOTO: NYTIMES
WASHINGTON - Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley’s campaign was reeling on Feb 7 from an embarrassing loss in the Nevada primary that renewed questions about her path forward in the Republican nomination fight against frontrunner Donald Trump.
Mrs Haley lost Nevada’s primary handily even though she was the only candidate listed on the ballot. She secured just 31 per cent in the contest, well behind the 63 per cent of the ballots cast for “none of these candidates,” according to Nevada election officials.
No delegates were at stake in the primary, making Mrs Haley’s defeat more symbolic than meaningful.
Trump appears poised to capture all of Nevada’s 26 delegates when the state party holds a separate caucus proceeding on Feb 8, which will further diminish Mrs Haley’s long-term prospects as a candidate.
“Even on our worst days, we are blessed to live in America,” Mrs Haley posted on X on Feb 6 night following her loss.
Mrs Haley’s team had spent considerable energy in recent days trying to manage expectations in Nevada, where opinion polls have consistently shown her trailing Trump by wide margins, even by the standards of a modern Republican Party dominated by the former president.
“In terms of Nevada, we have not spent a dime nor an ounce of energy on Nevada,” Mrs Haley’s campaign manager, Ms Betsey Ankney, told reporters on Monday.
Mrs Haley has maintained her focus on winning her home state of South Carolina, where she served for six years as governor. Polls, however, have shown Trump with a commanding lead ahead of the Feb 24 primary.
This week, Mrs Haley bypassed Nevada in making a trip to California to raise campaign funds. She will hold an event in Los Angeles later on Feb 7.
Trump is seeking to knock Mrs Haley out of the race in South Carolina and set his sights on a November general election contest with President Joe Biden, a Democrat.
“A bad night for Nikki Haley,” he posted on his Truth Social platform.
“Losing by almost 30 points in Nevada to ‘None of These Candidates.’ Watch, she’ll soon claim Victory!”
Mr Biden won the Nevada Democratic primary with 89 per cent of the vote as he seeks reelection in a likely rematch against Trump that Mr Biden has cast as a test for US democracy.
Republican primary voters and lawmakers have embraced Trump even as his legal troubles and bills grow. He faces multiple civil and criminal cases, including federal and state criminal charges connected to his efforts to reverse his 2020 election loss, and has denied any wrongdoing in what he has called a political witch hunt to deny him the White House.
A federal appeals court on Feb 6 ruled against Trump’s sweeping immunity claim that he cannot be prosecuted over the alleged election plot, teeing up an unprecedented criminal trial even as Trump vowed to appeal.
On Feb 8, the US Supreme Court will hear arguments over whether he can be barred from Colorado’s ballot over the Jan 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol aimed at blocking certification of Mr Biden’s victory. REUTERS
