With midterms barely over and the Speaker Vote only a few weeks ago, political analysts and the media are already looking ahead to the 2024 Presidential race. We know that former President Trump is running for re-election after losing in 2020 to President Biden. President Biden has yet to announce his re-election bid. Biden could hold off until after his State of the Union Address and for his current scandal regarding the illegal holding of classified documents to die down before he announces his decision. Biden will likely seek re-election. If he runs it's unlikely he will face any primary challengers but he could see many GOP candidates on the stage vying for the job of ending the Biden Administration.
While we know Trump is a given for running against Biden, several other names are thrown around including Gov. Ron DeSantis, former VP Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Senator Ted Cruz. Another suspected runner is Former South Carolina Gov. and US UN Ambassador Nikki Haley. Nikki quickly became a rising political star as she went from a member of the State House to Governor and then transitioned into US UN Ambassador.
Haley has experience with all eyes being on her. Her record includes going against the Good ol’ Boys Club in the State House, taking down the Confederate Flag as Governor, to standing up to foreign nations who dared to come against America and our decisions during her time as Ambassador to the United Nations. Still, she faces unique challenges rising as the GOP Presidential Nominee. Gov. DeSantis is currently in office and can highlight current policy actions. Mike Pence has the advantage of being the former Vice President. Former President Trump gets non-stop media coverage and can run on his past presidential accomplishments. Haley left office at the end of 2018 and has not run for any other office since then. The policy action that she took happened years ago. Haley does not get the benefit of daily headlines like Trump and DeSantis.
While Haley faces challenges for a presidential bid, she still polls better than all other candidates after DeSantis, Trump, and Pence. Her debate skills and the energy she brings could knock Pence down in the polls. Trump is likely to self-destruct and is already losing support from his base. Her biggest opponent would easily be DeSantis. She would need to make clear hard positions early on and explain how her ideas will work. She can’t afford to get caught up in the name-calling and personal attacks, although that's yet to be a problem for Haley.
After leaving her UN position, she started her Stand For America PAC. Not only does she have the ability to directly communicate with subscribers sending them short news pieces and her views on current events. She has also traveled around for two election seasons pushing candidates across the finish lines. She has been able to make direct contact with voters from several states and candidates she endorsed and campaigned for are sure to endorse her for President. Polls could be underestimating her growing support from voters. Her books have been successful and she has maintained relevance even after leaving office.
Haley faces more challenges making it to the top than other primary contenders but she has always done her best work when she is the underdog. Her first election required that she take down a 30-year incumbent and the longest-serving member of the State House. Winning the election as Governor made her the first female and first minority Governor in the state’s history. She took a risk working in the Trump Administration and it paid off. When everyone else left with burns from the fire, she came out as gold purified. Her track record speaks for itself. She polls at 3% behind Mike Pence polling at 7% while Trump and DeSantis have double-digit support numbers. If Haley knows she’s the underdog in this race, she doesn’t project it. She exudes confidence in every interview she takes and is convinced she is ready for the job as President. If Haley does decide to run, she will go all in. She’s a wildcard for sure. That's the thing about Haley though, you can never count her out.