Haley supporters hope for a win in South Carolina

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Supporters of former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley gathered at Charleston Place on Saturday evening where they will watch results come in from the state’s Republican presidential preference primary.

Polls close at 7:00 p.m. and results will begin reporting shortly after.

Haley, who previously served in her opponent, former President Donald Trump’s administration as United States ambassador to the United Nations, cast her vote on Kiawah Island earlier in the day.

She also spent Friday making several campaign stops in the hope of rallying enough support to defeat the former president in her home state.

Haley has yet to win a state in the Republican primary, though support increased from Iowa to New Hampshire. But she has pledged to continue her campaign no matter Saturday’s outcome.

Her message to voters is that she is the right candidate to help Republicans win the general election in November against President Joe Biden.

“It’s not about which state we’re going to win, it’s the fact that 70% of Americans don’t want the choice that they are being given,” said Haley. “If Donald Trump did not get 49% of the vote in Iowa, if he did not get 46% in New Hampshire, that’s very telling for a Republican incumbent. What I have said to Republicans is, it doesn’t matter who wins the primary, if they cannot win a general election.”

Haley has been all over the state on a bus tour and has made multiple stops in the Lowcountry. Many people we heard from praised Haley for her work as South Carolina governor and wanted to see her prevail over the former president. But some say they were still deciding between the two and were skeptical of whether Haley could rally enough support to get the nomination.

Haley previously told News 2 that she needs to narrow the gap with Trump, similar to what she was able to do in New Hampshire. Results after the polls close will tell if she was able to make that happen.