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South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has reportedly gained significant ground on former President Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, according to a new poll released by American Research Group, Inc. released on Thursday (December 21).
Haley, 51, a former political ally turned rival who served as a U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump administration, is currently favored by 29% of likely GOP voters in the state of New Hampshire, which will hold the first primary election -- following the Iowa caucus -- on January 23, 2024. Trump, 77, still leads all candidates at 33%, however, the 4% projected margin is the smallest between the former president and any other Republican candidate to date.
Trump also holds a 33% to 32% edge over Haley among voters who said they would definitely turn out for the January 23 primary. Haley has recently gained momentum as the alternative to Trump, receiving an endorsement from the Koch-affiliated Americans for Prosperity (AFP) Action in November, who claimed she “offers America the opportunity to turn the page on the current political era, to win the Republican primary and defeat [President] Joe Biden next November.”
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon also encouraged wealthy business leaders to support Haley as a way to "get a choice on the Republican side that might be better than Trump" the day after the AFP Action endorsement.
"The more voters hear from Nikki Haley, the more they like her,” said Ashley Davis, vice chair of Winning for Women Action Fund, a Republican super PAC intended to support the election of conservative women, in a statement obtained by USA TODAY last month. “Her conservative record and positive vision are clearly resonating, and she's ridden that momentum into second place in critical early states.”