Nikki Haley emerged as the first woman victorious over Donald Trump in the Republican primary held in Washington, DC, marking her first triumph over the former president in the 2024 campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.
While Haley faced defeat in her home state of South Carolina, her win in Washington, DC, represents a historic moment as she became the first woman to secure a Republican primary victory in US history.
However, despite this significant achievement, Haley still trails behind Trump, who maintains a substantial lead in the delegate count and is expected to compete against Joe Biden in the November election.
According to reports from the BBC’s US partner CBS, Haley secured all 19 Republican delegates available in Washington, DC, bringing her total delegate count to 43 nationwide, compared to Trump’s 247 delegates.
Haley garnered 62.9% of the vote, while Trump received 33.2%, solidifying her victory in the nation’s capital. Nevertheless, Washington, DC, leans heavily Democratic, with only approximately 23,000 registered Republicans in the city, making Haley’s win largely symbolic.
Local party officials noted that 2,035 Republicans participated in the primary, as reported by the Washington Post.
Responding to her victory, Olivia Perez-Cubas, national spokesperson for Haley’s campaign, remarked, “It’s not surprising that Republicans closest to Washington dysfunction are rejecting Donald Trump and all his chaos.”
In contrast, the Trump campaign swiftly dismissed Haley’s win, labeling her the “Queen of the Swamp.” Karoline Leavitt, press secretary for the Trump Campaign, asserted, “While Nikki has been soundly rejected throughout the rest of America, she was just crowned Queen of the Swamp by the lobbyists and DC insiders that want to protect the failed status quo. The swamp has claimed their queen.”
Trump has maintained dominance in every state primary or caucus thus far in the Republican campaign and is anticipated to secure more delegates during Super Tuesday, a crucial day with voters in 15 states and one US territory participating in nominating contests, offering 874 Republican delegates’ support.
Despite the odds, Haley has pledged to continue her candidacy at least until March 5th, when thousands of voters will cast their ballots on Super Tuesday.
