U.S. elections: Nikki Haley reacts to Ron DeSantis withdrawing from race
Photo: U.S. Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley (Getty Images)
Nikki Haley, Donald Trump's primary opponent in the U.S. presidential elections, commented on Ron DeSantis withdrawing his candidacy from the race. She noted that "It’s now one fella and one lady left" and called on voters to support her candidacy, according to The New York Times.
It is noted that on Sunday, January 21, Nikki Haley visited the city of Seabrook in the state of New Hampshire, where she met with voters. During her speech, Trump's opponent announced that Ron DeSantis had withdrawn from the race and wished him all the best.
"Having said that, it’s now one fella and one lady left. For now, I’ll leave you with this: May the best woman win," the candidate said.
The publication points out that Haley and her allies have long been trying to position the presidential race as a battle between her and former President Donald Trump, even after she secured third place in the caucuses in Iowa. At the caucus, Trump received 51 percent of the votes.
"With Mr. DeSantis now out of the race, that argument became much more salient — though recent polling averages put her 15 percentage points behind Mr. Trump in New Hampshire," the publication notes.
The former U.S. Ambassador to the UN expanded on this argument, stating that "only one state has voted" and that "half of its votes went to Donald Trump, and half did not."
"Voters deserve a say in whether we go down the road of Trump and Biden again, or we go down a new conservative road. New Hampshire voters will have their say on Tuesday," she said.
Haley also promised to stay in the race until the primaries in South Carolina and "Super Tuesday" on March 5, regardless of the results of the New Hampshire primaries on Tuesday, January 23.
In an interview with CNN, Haley reiterated her criticisms of Trump, whom she has been increasingly critical of recently, as well as current President Joe Biden. In her view, they are "equally bad" for the country.
"If either one of them was good, I wouldn’t be running," she added.
Haley also mentioned that DeSantis, who endorsed Trump during his withdrawal announcement, did not call her or inform her in advance of his decision.
Nikki Haley's political career
Nikki Haley (born Nimrata Randhawa) was born in Bamberg, South Carolina, into a Sikh family. Her parents, Dr. Ajit Singh Randhawa and Raj Kaur Randhawa, immigrated from the Amritsar district of Punjab, India.
Haley worked at the waste processing and disposal corporation FCR before transitioning to her mother's company, Exotica International, a high-quality clothing manufacturer, in 1994. The family business soon grew into a multimillion-dollar enterprise.
In 2004, Haley was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives. She became the first American of Indian descent to hold this position in the state. She was re-elected in 2006 and 2008 and held roles in the committees on medical, military, state, and municipal affairs.
On November 2, 2010, Haley won the general elections against Democratic candidate Vincent Sheheen, securing 51% of the votes compared to his 47%. She was re-elected on November 4, 2014, with 55.9% of the voters supporting her over Sheheen's 41.4%.
In November 2016, then-President Donald Trump nominated Nikki Haley as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. On January 24, 2017, the Senate confirmed her for the position. During her tenure, she staunchly opposed Russia on key issues in the UN Security Council.
On October 9, 2018, Haley submitted her resignation as the U.S. Ambassador to the UN, concluding her duties on December 31, 2018.
On February 14, 2023, Haley officially announced her candidacy for the 2024 U.S. presidential elections. She is the first woman of color and the fifth woman in history to run for president as the primary candidate of the Republican Party.
Candidates-Republicans in the U.S. presidential elections
The presidential elections in the United States are scheduled for November 5, 2024.
According to forecasts, the main candidate from the Democrats is considered to be the incumbent American leader, Joe Biden. At the same time, Republicans are naming Donald Trump as their favorite.
On Sunday, January 21, the main contender against Trump from the Republicans, Ron DeSantis, withdrew his candidacy from the U.S. presidential elections.
On January 11, the former governor of the state of New Jersey and one of the leaders of the Republican Party, Chris Christie, suspended his pre-election campaign.
Earlier, six more Republican candidates withdrew their candidacies. Thus, at the moment, Donald Trump and Nikki Haley are running for president from the Republican Party in the U.S. elections.
