Presidential candidate Nikki Haley secured a historic win on Sunday defeating former president Donald Trump, as the D.C. Republican Party declared her the victor in the presidential nominating contest.
The milestone marks Haley as the first woman in U.S. history to win a Republican primary, according to a statement from her campaign spokesperson, Olivia Perez-Cubas, posted on X.
This makes Nikki Haley the first woman to win a Republican primary in U.S. history https://t.co/eT4T4UafLz
— Olivia PC (@olivia_pc) March 4, 2024
Haley's triumph, which captured nearly 63 percent of the vote, came in the Washington, D.C. Republican primary held over the weekend. Trump trailed behind with 33.22 percent of votes.
— DC Republican Party (@DCGOP) March 4, 2024
While Haley's triumph in the D.C. Republican primary may not reshape the trajectory of the race dominated by Trump, it serves as a significant morale boost for the former UN ambassador. The victory comes just ahead of this week's Super Tuesday contests, where Haley aims to solidify her position in the competitive presidential race.
In response to Haley's win, the Trump campaign issued a statement, dubbing her "Queen of the Swamp" after her victory over Trump in the Washington, D.C. Republican primary. The contest unfolded over the weekend in a downtown hotel, mere steps away from the heart of D.C.'s lobbying hub.
The victory comes on the heels of her defeats in caucuses in Missouri and Idaho, as well as at a Republican convention in Michigan, where Trump emerged victorious. Despite these setbacks, Trump's prospects in the D.C. GOP primary were never high. In 2016, he trailed behind Marco Rubio and John Kasich.
Notably, despite recent setbacks in Republican primary losses, Haley has defied calls from some within the GOP to suspend her campaign.
The Washington, D.C. Republican primary unfolded over the weekend in a downtown hotel, steps away from D.C.'s lobbying hub. The voting spanned three days at the Madison Hotel, where Haley held a campaign rally on Friday.
As Haley shifts her focus to campaigning in Texas following her D.C. victory, the outcome of this latest contest adds a new layer of intrigue to the unfolding Republican presidential race.
