Following Nikki Haley's suspension of her presidential campaign, a significant portion of her supporters in Pennsylvania did not back Donald Trump, the remaining major candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination. Despite not actively campaigning since March, Haley garnered nearly 17% of the primary vote in Pennsylvania, compared to Trump's 83%.
Pennsylvania, with its 19 electoral votes, holds a crucial position as a battleground state in presidential elections. The reluctance of Haley's GOP voters to support Trump in the upcoming election could potentially harm his chances of victory in the state and impact his overall reelection prospects.
While Haley's support base was not substantial enough to pose a serious challenge to Trump before he secured the nomination, the significant number of votes she received in Pennsylvania is noteworthy. With over 156,000 votes, Haley's tally exceeded the margin by which Joe Biden defeated Trump in the state in 2020.
Notably, Haley's support in urban and suburban areas, where Trump faced significant losses in previous elections, indicates a potential shift in voter preferences within the state.
On the Democratic side, U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota secured 7% of the vote against Biden in Pennsylvania's primary. The total number of write-in votes and the breakdown of votes for 'uncommitted' candidates are still being finalized.
Overall, approximately 1 million ballots were counted in both the GOP and Democratic presidential primaries in Pennsylvania. The state's closed primary system required voters to be registered as Republicans or Democrats by April 8 to participate in their party's primary.
The stage is set for Biden and Trump to secure their parties' nominations and face off in the general election in November, with potential implications from the distribution of support seen in the primary results.
