Republican primary candidate and former Governor of South Carolina, Nikki Haley, officially withdrew from the presidential primary race Wednesday after a poor showing among Super Tuesday primary elections in which she won only Vermont and did not contest any other states.
Haley emphasized the need for a smaller federal government for freedom and survival. She added that, “It is now up to Donald Trump to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond it, who did not support him […] this is now his time for choosing.”
Though the last Republican offering an alternative to Trump in the primary, when it came time for Republican voters to choose, Haley could not coalesce enough support to offer a serious challenge. While losing her home state of South Carolina handily, she only picked up Vermont and the District of Colombia as primary wins.
Haley wished Trump well in her comments, but stopped short of endorsing Trump. Her future plans and role in the Republican Party remain unclear.
Trump posted his reaction to Haley’s withdrawal on Truth Social just as she took the stage to give her remarks Wednesday morning.
Biden similarly dominated the Democratic primary contests on Super Tuesday, though he was uncontested on the ballot in North Carolina and several other states.