Presidential hopeful Nikki Haley finished third in Iowa earlier this month, and she’s facing uncertain results in New Hampshire, even after spending oodles of time and money there.
The South Carolina politician stirred speculation by scheduling a Wednesday rally in her home state. The Wall Street Journal called Haley’s rally “the kind of setting where she could drop out of the race.”
Haley denied the rumors. In fact, she vowed to stay in the race… even if she loses New Hampshire’s primary.
What’s more, her campaign aides expect her to remain in the race until after Super Tuesday.
“We’re going to South Carolina,” Haley said, according to the Associated Press. “We have put in the ad buy. We are there.”
Haley expects to win more and more of the vote in every primary. According to Haley herself, her campaign has been trying to build momentum over time, instead of trying to start with a commanding lead.
“We wanted to be strong in Iowa. We wanted to be stronger than that in New Hampshire. We’re going to be even stronger than that in South Carolina,” Haley added. “This has always been a marathon. It’s never been a sprint.”
She clarified her remarks in a Tuesday appearance on Fox News.
“No, I don’t get out if I lose today,” Haley said on Fox News. “Again, I’m going to say this, we’ve had 56,000 people vote for Donald Trump, and you’re going to say that’s what the country wants? That’s not what the country wants.”
Haley’s campaign aides have been pushing against the argument that “New Hampshire is ‘the best it’s going to get’ for Nikki.” Her aides have stressed that “the campaign has not even begun in any of these states” after New Hampshire.
“No ads have been aired and candidates aren’t hustling on the ground. A month in politics is a lifetime,” campaign manager Betsy Ankney told The New York Times.
Haley’s campaign manager saw “favorable demographics” in Super Tuesday states. “After Super Tuesday, we will have a very good picture of where this race stands,” the aide concluded.
Former President Donald Trump won most voters in the Iowa caucus earlier this month, and his allies have urged Haley to suspend her campaign and endorse him.
Two of Trump’s campaign advisers — Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita — urged Haley to suspend her campaign in the event of a Trump victory in New Hampshire. They said in a memo that Haley “must win in New Hampshire” to remain an option.
However, Haley has long resisted calls to suspend her campaign. “This is far from over,” Haley said over the weekend, according to the Associated Press.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended his presidential campaign Sunday. He had scheduled an event in New Hampshire for later, and he canceled it only after withdrawing from the race.
The Horn editorial team and the Associated Press contributed to this article.