Nikki Haley beats Trump to become first woman to win a Republican primary
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US presidential hopeful Nikki Haley has made history by becoming the first woman to win a Republican primary after defeating Donald Trump in Washington DC. Haley, a former South Carolina governor and UN ambassador, secured nearly 63 per cent of the GOP primary vote on Sunday, compared to the 33 per cent garnered by Trump. This victory earned her the district’s 19 delegates.
Haley’s campaign celebrated the historic win in the nation’s capital, attributing it to Republicans rejecting Trump and his chaotic leadership. Campaign spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas stated, “It’s not surprising that Republicans closest to Washington dysfunction are rejecting Donald Trump and all his chaos.” Haley echoed this sentiment on Twitter, declaring that she will “fight for every inch” in the Republican presidential nomination race.
While many women have run for president in US history, Haley is the first to win a Republican presidential primary or caucus. The last woman to make a significant impact in Republican politics was Margaret Chase Smith, who became the first woman to have her name placed into the nomination for president in 1964. However, Haley’s victory over Trump in Washington DC marks a significant milestone in her political career.
Despite her historic win, Haley faces an uphill battle in securing the Republican nomination over Trump for the 2024 presidential election. The small registered Republican presence in Washington DC, a traditionally Democrat-leaning district, highlights the challenges she will encounter. With just over 2,000 people voting in the GOP primary out of nearly 679,000 residents in the city, Haley’s path to clinching the nomination remains daunting.
The 19 delegates secured from her victory in Washington DC represent only a fraction of the 1,215 delegates needed to secure the Republican nomination. Trump, on the other hand, has dominated every other presidential contest where he has appeared on the ballot and has earned 122 delegates. With Super Tuesday approaching, where 874 of the Republican Party’s 2,429 delegates will be up for grabs, Trump is expected to strengthen his position and potentially secure the nomination.
In response to Haley’s win, Trump downplayed its significance on his social media platform Truth Social. He claimed he “purposely stayed away” from Washington DC due to its limited delegate count and referred to Haley as a “loser” with a “record low performance in virtually every state.” Despite Trump’s dismissive comments, Haley’s victory in Washington DC remains a historic moment for women in Republican politics.
As the race for the Republican nomination intensifies, all eyes will be on Super Tuesday to see how the candidates perform in securing delegates. While Haley’s victory in Washington DC is a significant milestone, she will need to overcome formidable odds to emerge as the Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election.
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Nikki Haley
