Nikki Haley emerges as sole Republican who can beat president Joe Biden in 2024, says CNN poll
A CNN poll has shown that former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is the only Republican who can beat President Joe Biden in the 2024 presidential election.
Haley, who also served as the US ambassador to the UN under President Donald Trump, is one of the many Republicans, including two Indian Americans, vying for the party’s nomination.
Trump, however, remains the frontrunner among the GOP hopefuls.
According to CNN, “Hypothetical matchups… suggest there would be no clear leader should Biden face one of the other major GOP contenders, with one notable exception: Biden runs behind former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.”
The poll found that registered voters are evenly divided between Trump (47%) and Biden (46%), with the same demographic patterns that shaped the 2020 race still in place. Biden is in a dead heat with Ron DeSantis (both at 47%), closely contested with Mike Pence (46% for Pence, 44% for Biden), Tim Scott (46% for Scott, 44% for Biden), Vivek Ramaswamy (46% for Biden, 45% for Ramaswamy), and facing a narrow margin against Chris Christie (44% for Christie, 42% for Biden).
“Haley stands as the only GOP candidate to hold a lead over Biden, with 49 percent to Biden’s 43 percent in a hypothetical match between the two,” CNN reported.
The news channel said that Haley’s advantage over Biden is partly driven by her wider appeal among White voters with college degrees. She secures 51% of support from that demographic, whereas other Republicans assessed in the poll receive 48% or lower.
The Haley campaign welcomed the poll results saying, “This poll confirms what many Democrats and Republicans are saying: Democrats are terrified of running against Nikki Haley.” “When you ask President Joe Biden who they’re really worried about, you’ll hear one name. ‘If they nominate Nikki Haley, we’re in trouble,” said a senior Democratic strategist close to the Biden campaign.
The Hill said that the poll results are good news for Haley, who is looking to challenge her former boss Trump for the Republican nomination after a strong performance in the first GOP presidential debate late last month.