Nikki Haley, the former Governor of South Carolina, has not allocated any financial resources or energy to contest the upcoming Nevada Republican presidential caucus, according to her campaign manager, Betsy Ankney.
Speaking during a press call, Ankney stated that Nevada has never been the campaign’s focus, and they have not invested any funds or effort into the state.
Despite Haley’s name being on the ballot for the non-binding GOP primary, her campaign asserts that they won’t gain any of the 26 delegates at stake.
Nikki Haley’s campaign (Credits: The New York Times)
The unusual dual process in Nevada arose due to objections from the state Republican Party regarding a new law mandating primaries instead of caucuses.
Haley initially registered for the primary ballot when more Republican candidates were in the race to avoid the $55,000 caucus registration fee.
The campaign contends that the caucus is “rigged” for GOP front-runner Donald Trump, emphasizing their decision not to pay to participate in a process they believe favors Trump.
Campaign manager Ankney argued that caucuses generally benefit Trump, given his status as the former president.
In contrast, Trump has proudly highlighted his expected acquisition of all delegates in Nevada, where only a long-shot candidate, Ryan Binkley, is also registered for the caucus.
Trump, holding several rallies in the state, plans to host a caucus watch party to celebrate the results.
Haley’s campaign is redirecting its resources toward the South Carolina primary on February 24 rather than focusing on Nevada.
Despite trailing Trump by over 25 points in polls for the first-in-the-South primary, Ankney cautioned against reading too much into public polling. She portrayed Haley as the “underdog” but highlighted consistent momentum, with the campaign raising $16.5 million in January.
The Trump campaign has not provided an immediate response to these developments.
