Haley files for SC Republican primary
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCSC/AP) - Nikki Haley has formally filed paperwork to enter the Republican primary in her home state of South Carolina.
South Carolina’s “First in the South” Republican primary is less than four months away. But Tuesday is the deadline for candidates to register to get their name on the ballot.
Haley visited the State House on Monday, where her career took off, for a signing ceremony. Haley starts this week with new momentum after a poll in Iowa has her tied for second with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“I signed it and said, ‘Let’s do this!’” Haley said.
Her filing comes on the same day that a prominent poll in Iowa indicates she’s gaining ground and tied for second in Republican’s first-in-the-nation state.
Former President Donald Trump still maintains a sizable lead across the nation and in early states but Haley expressed confidence Monday in how she’ll be able to do in South Carolina by the time its Feb. 24 primary arrives.
“I’ve always been the underdog. I enjoy that. It’s what makes me scrappy,” she said. “But no one’s going to outwork me in this race. No one’s going to outsmart me in this race. It is slow and steady wins the race. … I’ve got one more fella I gotta catch up to, and I am determined to do it. We’ll get it done.”
Lawmakers who worked alongside Haley during her time in the State House seconded that sentiment.
“There’s only one person in this race that can defeat Joe Biden, and that’s Nikki Haley,” U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman (R-South Carolina) said.
“I’ve known her for 20 years, and I’ve had this feeling about her for 20 years,” Sen. Tom Davis (R-Beaufort) said. “And that feeling has always been, I’m looking at somebody who is destined for greater things. I’m looking at somebody who has presidential timber.”
Some supporters in her home state, like Ross White of Myrtle Beach, say Haley’s time as governor convinced them to back her run for the White House.
“Me and my family, we talked about it, and we thought about how she would be such a great presidential candidate, and it just turned out, like two, three years later, she decided to run for president,” White said.
Haley is one of four candidates to file Monday, just ahead of Tuesday’s deadline. The other four are former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Ryan Binkley.
They join the candidates who have already filed, which include former President Donald Trump, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy.
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