Nikki Haley was projected to win the Republican primary in Washington, DC, defeating Donald Trump by a significant margin.
With polls closing at 7pm, Haley led Trump 63% to 33% based on early vote counts.
Specifically, around 1,300 voters backed Haley while approximately 680 chose Trump.
BREAKING: Nikki Haley wins the District of Columbia Republican primary, NBC News projects. https://t.co/iYnZUuDFL8 pic.twitter.com/4s5xCDPCIn
— NBC News (@NBCNews) March 4, 2024
This victory comes despite Haley losing other GOP primaries, including in her home state, and spending over $76 million against Trump in four early voting states.
Haley has vowed to remain in the race as long as she remains competitive, saying voters will show through donations and votes if they want her to continue.
“I’ve always said this needs to be competitive. As long as we are competitive, as long as we’re showing there is a place for us, I’m going to continue to fight. That’s always been the case,” Haley said.
“If the people want to see me go forward, they’ll show it. They’ll show it in their votes. They’ll show it in their donations. They’ll show it in the fact that they want us to continue to go forward,” she added.
The win nets Haley 19 more delegates, bringing her total to 43, still far short of the 1,215 needed to clinch the nomination.
The results demonstrate Haley’s support among some Republican voters remains a viable alternative to Trump.
