"I have no regrets": Nikki Haley suspends presidential campaign
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Nikki Haley speaks to supporters during a Town hall event at McIntyre Ski Area on Dec. 12 in Manchester, New Hampshire. Photo: Sophie Park/Getty Images
Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley announced Wednesday that she is suspending her presidential bid.
Why it matters: Haley became the first woman to win a GOP presidential primary earlier this month, but her rise in the polls and 11th-hour endorsements were not enough to break former President Trump's commanding lead.
Driving the news: "I am filled with the gratitude for the outpouring of support we've received from all across our great country," Haley said Wednesday.
- "But the time has now come to suspend my campaign."
What they're saying: Haley congratulated Trump as the likely GOP nominee, but did not endorse the former president.
- "It is now up to Donald Trump to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond it who did not support him, and I hope he does that," she said.
- "At its best, politics is about bringing people into your cause, not turning them away."
- "This is now his time for choosing."
The Wall Street Journal first reported on Haley's plans to suspend her campaign.
Haley's announcement effectively ends the GOP presidential primary and confirms a historic rematch between President Biden and Trump, who is also facing four criminal indictments.
- Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, also saw a crushing double-digit loss to Trump in her home state. Even after that defeat, she vowed to stay in the race until Super Tuesday.
The big picture: Haley and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who suspended his campaign before the New Hampshire primary, battled to be the top choice for voters looking for an alternative to Trump.
- Haley, following strong debate performances, drew key endorsements in the final weeks before the Iowa caucuses, including from the political network backed by billionaire Charles Koch and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu.
- She also emerged as a top choice for establishment Republicans and donors who had been on the sidelines waiting for a Trump alternative.
Catch up quick: Haley finished third in the pivotal Iowa caucuses, behind Trump and DeSantis, and she finished second in New Hampshire.
- Haley came in second to "none of these candidates" in a largely symbolic Nevada primary that didn't include Trump.
- Haley won the D.C. GOP primary in early March, becoming the first woman to win a Republican presidential primary.
- She won the Vermont primary on Super Tuesday, becoming the first woman to win a state and avoiding a Trump sweep on that night.
Flashback: Haley, the only woman in the Republican field, announced in February 2023 that she was launching her presidential campaign.
- On the trail, Haley flexed her foreign policy chops — contrasting herself with Trump's isolationist views — and she tried to find a middle ground on abortion.
Between the lines: Haley had pinned her presidential ambitions on New Hampshire, the first-in-the-nation primary state, and sought a strong finish there to propel her through the primary.
- She pinned much of her best chances at the nomination on open primaries.
The bottom line: "I said I wanted Americans to have their voices heard, I have done that. I have no regrets," Haley said.
- "And although I will no longer be a candidate, I will not stop using my voice for the things I believe in."
Editor's note: This story has been updated with Haley's remarks and a graphic showing the presidential candidates.
