‘I refuse to quit:’ Haley to stay in GOP presidential race beyond South Carolina primary

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Nikki Haley knows what the polls suggest in South Carolina, she said Tuesday in Greenville.

But the state’s former governor vowed to keep campaigning regardless of how Saturday’s Palmetto State GOP primary ends.

“Instead of focusing on how to make America stronger tomorrow, some people want to know if I’m going to cave today, Haley said at a State of the Race speech in downtown Greenville.

Haley’s remarks came near the start of a multi-day Beast of the Southeast Bus Tour that will bring her to all corners of her home state, including appearances on Thursday in Georgetown and Myrtle Beach.

As of Monday, Sandy Martin, the director of elections in Horry County, said 13,353 people had voted ahead of Saturday’s primary.

“This shows people there is competition and competition increases voter turnout,” said David White, a political science professor at Francis Marion University.

After losing early contests in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada, Haley is trailing Trump by 23 points here, according to an Emerson College Polling/The Hill survey of likely GOP voters.

“South Carolina will vote on Saturday but on Sunday, I’ll still be running for president. I’m not going anywhere,” Haley said. “I’m campaigning every day until the last person votes.”

Before her remarks on Tuesday, Trump’s campaign rolled out a memo predicting that “the end is near for Nikki Haley.”

“Of course, like any wailing loser hell-bent on an alternative reality and refusing to come to grips with her imminent political mortality, we should expect more references to Kings and Coronations — even though the results of 5 elections overwhelmingly sent an unmistaken message: Nikki Haley doesn’t represent Republicans any more than Joe Biden does,” Trump’s campaign wrote.

But with nearly two dozen states and territories set to vote in the 10 days following South Carolina’s Feb. 24 primary, Haley said dropping out now deprives them all of a choice.

“I feel no need to kiss the ring. I have no fear of Trump’s retribution. I’m not looking for anything from him,” Haley said. “My own political future is of zero concern. So I hear what the political class says. But I hear from the American people, too.”

While Haley is trailing Trump in South Carolina and nationally, polls show her beating Biden in a head-to-head match-up. The Hill’s Decision Desk HQ polling average shows her leading the president by 0.4 percent.

“Republicans will get stronger through a vigorous competition. We have plenty of time to hash this out. If the (primary) race ended today, we would have the longest general election in history,” Haley said. “Trump is the only Republican Biden can beat, so they want the guy they’ve beaten time and again.”

Information from The Hill was used in this story

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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.

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