A new poll reveals that former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is the only 2024 Republican Presidential candidate who stands a chance of defeating President Joe Biden in the general election.
The CNN survey found that while other leading GOP contenders would be in a dead heat with him, Haley holds a clear advantage.
Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Tim Scott, Vivek Ramaswamy and Ron DeSantis all had similar results within the margin of error as Biden.
Trump earned 47% support from survey respondents compared to 46% for Biden; the same result was seen for Pence and Scott at 46% and 44%, respectively. Ramaswamy trailed Biden 45% to 46%, while DeSantis was neck-and-neck with him at 47%.
This data suggests that if Republicans are to have any hope of reclaiming the White House come 2024, they must rally behind Nikki Haley as their nominee. But who is she? And why might her candidacy prove so successful?
Nikki Haley has served in various government positions over the past two decades — from her time as an appointed member of South Carolina’s House of Representatives in 2004 to her term as United States Ambassador to the United Nations under Donald Trump in 2017 — making her well-equipped for higher office.
She also boasts impressive public speaking skills and has recently become known for her conservative stances on issues such as taxes and immigration reform. These traits could be key factors in helping her attract swing voters away from Biden’s camp.
Haley mocked the U.S. Senate last week as a “nursing home” following the latest health scare from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
“It’s sad,” she told Fox News of his second public freezing incident. “No one should feel good about seeing that any more than we should feel good about seeing Dianne Feinstein, any more than we should feel good about a lot of what’s happening or seeing Joe Biden’s decline.”
“What I will say is, right now, the Senate is the most privileged nursing home in the country,” Haley added. “I mean, Mitch McConnell has done some great things and he deserves credit. But you have to know when to leave.”
Haley has endorsed requiring all politicians over the age of 75 to complete mental competency tests before being allowed to run for re-election.
Additionally, many conservatives admire Haley’s commitment to fiscal responsibility during her tenure as governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017 where she oversaw tax cuts worth billions while managing a $1 billion budget surplus by 2015 — something which could make her an attractive option among fiscal conservatives both inside and outside of party lines.
In fact, one recent poll found that despite having left office four years ago she remains popular among voters across both political parties with 55 percent viewing her favorably compared to just 27 percent viewing unfavorably – suggesting she may have some crossover appeal which could give Republicans an edge against Democrats come Election Day 2024.
Ultimately it will take more than just name recognition or policy preferences for Nikki Haley to secure victory against Joe Biden should he decide to run again next year, however this latest polling data does suggest Republicans may have found their best chance yet if they can convince enough independent voters that she represents their best chance at winning back the White House come November 2024
Erica Carlin is an independent journalist, opinion writer and contributor to several news and opinion sources. She is based in Georgia.
