Nikki Haley Projects Path Beyond New Hampshire Before Results Are Even In, Relies on Non-Conservative Voters

Nikki Haley New Hampshire
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Hannah Knudsen

Presidential hopeful Nikki Haley is projecting a path beyond New Hampshire before results are even in, with her campaign releasing a memo clarifying that she is not going anywhere.

“It’s officially a two-person race. It’s Nikki Haley vs. Donald Trump,” a memo released by Haley’s campaign on New Hampshire’s primary day reads, boasting of the millions of dollars the campaign has raised.

“The political class and media want to give Donald Trump a coronation,” it continues. “They say the race is over.”

However, Haley’s campaign declares, “That isn’t how this works.”

“Roughly 50 percent of Republican primary voters want an alternative to Donald Trump. Seventy-five percent of the country wants an option other than Donald Trump and Joe Biden,” the memo reads, contending that Haley previously faced uphill battles in South Carolina when “no one” thought she had a chance. Further, Haley’s campaign identifies her as the “last hope to get our party and our country back on track.”

The memo continues, essentially dismissing any less-than-positive results that should come out of New Hampshire on Tuesday. While the campaign acknowledged that it is beneficial for Haley that independent and unaffiliated voters can vote in the Granite State’s primary, likely assisting Haley, it asserted that the “path through Super Tuesday includes more states than not that have this dynamic.”

The memo lays out what it apparently views as Haley’s path to victory, including a strong performance in South Carolina, which has no party registration. Then the campaign moves on to Michigan, the memo states, which has an open primary.

The memo adds that 11 of the 16 Super Tuesday states have open or “semi-open” primaries. In other words, the campaign believes there is “significant fertile ground” for Haley on Super Tuesday, attracting non-conservative voters.

“After Super Tuesday, we will have a very good picture of where this race stands,” the memo reads, instructing everyone to “take a deep breath” beforehand.

In other words, regardless of the outcome of New Hampshire’s primary, Haley intends to roll along, relying on moderates and independents — not the conservative base — to help her take down Trump:

The latest average of polls in New Hampshire shows Trump leading Haley by 19.3 percent.

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