Former GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley announced that she would vote for former President Donald Trump in the upcoming election. Following her announcement, the Biden campaign held a virtual meeting with her supporters. The meeting included members of Haley’s former state leadership team and the “Women for Nikki” coalition, and was arranged by Richard Schwartz, the executive director of the anti-Trump Haley Voters Working Group. The Biden campaign stressed the importance of the Haley coalition’s support in defeating Trump, despite policy disagreements with Biden. Many of Haley’s voters are considering writing in her name or not voting for Biden.
In the Republican primaries, Haley attracted a significant number of votes across several key swing states. In Pennsylvania, over 157,000 voted for her, representing 16% of the total vote share. In Wisconsin, she finished with almost 13% of the GOP primary vote, close to 77,000 votes. While Mr. Biden won both of these states in 2020, his victory margin was narrow. Schwartz shared a list of issues that are priorities for Haley supporters with the Biden campaign, such as supporting Israel and addressing the crisis at the U.S. southern border. The working group has been collaborating with Biden’s reelection team to understand what appeals to these Republican voters and what messages would resonate with them.
After Haley’s announcement that she would vote for Trump, one former Haley volunteer, Alissa Baker, expressed opposition to Trump. She stated that as a private citizen, Haley has the right to make her own choices, and she respects that Haley isn’t endorsing or telling her supporters how to vote. The Biden campaign emphasized its efforts to reach out to moderate Republican and independent voters who may be open to supporting Biden over Trump. The campaign is working to engage these voters and earn their support as Trump continues to attack moderate Republicans and independents.
The Biden campaign’s collaboration with the Haley Voters Working Group signifies its commitment to reaching out to Republican voters who may be disillusioned with Trump’s leadership. By engaging with Haley’s supporters and understanding their priorities and concerns, the Biden campaign is positioning itself as an alternative that appeals to a broader spectrum of voters beyond traditional Democratic base. It remains to be seen how many of Haley’s supporters will ultimately decide to vote for Biden, write in Haley’s name, or abstain from voting in the upcoming election. The outcome of the election could be influenced by the decisions of these key Republican voters in swing states.
