Nikki Haley wins Republican primary in Washington DC in first victory over Donald Trump

Nikki Haley won the Republican presidential primary in Washington, DC on Sunday, March 3. This is her first victory in the race against former president Donald Trump.

Her win comes just ahead of Super Tuesday, when 15 states and one territory will vote. “It’s not surprising that Republicans closest to Washington dysfunction are rejecting Donald Trump and all his chaos,” Haley spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas said in a statement.

Trump’s campaign too released a statement, calling it a “statement on Nikki Haley Being Crowned Queen of The Swamp.” “Tonight’s results in Washington DC reaffirm the object of President Trump’s campaign — he will drain the swamp and put America first,” the statement said.

Nikki Haley’s defeats
Most recently, Trump won Michigan’s Republican primary, with Haley losing yet another 2024 contest. Trump’s victory comes after Haley lost in her home state, South Carolina. However, she vowed to continue the fight.

The Haley campaign characterised the Michigan loss as a bad sign for Trump. It noted that about one-third of Republican primary voters cast ballots for someone other than the former president.

“Let this serve as another warning sign that what has happened in Michigan will continue to play out across the country,” Haley campaign national spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas said in a statement, according to NBC News. “So long as Donald Trump is at the top of the ticket, Republicans will keep losing to the socialist left. Our children deserve better.”

Trump beat Haley in Iowa and New Hampshire, and in Nevada too, where Haley did not appear on the ballot. She was also beaten by Trump in the US Virgin Islands, before being defeated in South Carolina.

Before the Michigan winner was announced, Haley went on to defend her decision to stay in the race. “We’ve only seen a handful of states vote. I mean, look, I’ve said this before as much as the media wants to jump ahead, we’re taking this one state, one day at a time,” she told CNN’s Dana Bash.