On Wednesday, former South Carolina Governor and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley officially announced she’s running for president. She’s the first Republican to openly declare she’s running against Former President Donald Trump.
WHY IT MATTERS:
Potential Republican candidates have been reluctant to challenge the former president because polls show Trump is still incredibly popular with most Republican voters. Pundits (people who report on and comment on politics) also say potential rivals fear Trump’s name-calling and relentless attacks.
- At her campaign announcement Wednesday, Haley took thinly veiled swipes at Trump saying Republicans need to move on from “stale ideas” and “faded names.”
- Trump declared his third run for the White House just says after the midterm elections back in November.
- Other potential candidates like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Trump’s own Vice President Mike Pence, and one South Carolina’s U.S. Senators, Tim Scott, haven’t officially announced a campaign.
- President Biden hasn’t officially announced his campaign yet, but is widely expected to run and will not face any challenge from his own party.
WHAT’S HER STORY?
Haley is the 51-year-old daughter of two Indian immigrants who was born and raised in South Carolina.
- Haley worked as a bookkeeper at her parents’ small business before being elected to the state legislature in 2004.
- She was the first woman of color to be elected Governor of South Carolina in 2010.
- President Trump picked her to be U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations in 2016, which served until leaving the job in 2018.
- Haley has distanced herself from Trump president several times, only to later soften her rhetoric, but critizied him after his supporters attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
- She faces an uphill battle to become the nominee: She regularly places outside the top three in polls.
WHERE DOES SHE STAND ON THE ISSUES?
Haley, like most Republicans, is both fiscally and socially conservative.
- On business: Haley supports “deregulation” – less rules – of businesses, saying it will spur economic growth.
- On taxes: Haley supports lowering taxes on all tax payers, from the richest to the poorest to corporations.
- On abortion: Haley has called herself “very pro-life,” meaning sure supports restricting abortion.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The first voting doesn’t happen yet for another year, when voters in New Hampshire go to the polls for the Republican primary.