Republican presidential candidate Haley has won the party’s primary in the District of Columbia capital district. The first victory against her rival Trump is largely symbolic.
According to a survey, Donald Trump surprisingly suffered his first defeat in the race for the US Republican presidential nomination.
His rival Nikki Haley prevailed in the party’s internal primaries in the capital Washington DC on Sunday, according to voter surveys by data service provider Edison Research.
Haley’s chances remain slim
Accordingly, she received 62.9 percent of the vote, while the ex-president only got 33.2 percent. It is her first victory in the nomination process and a symbolic success for the former US ambassador to the United Nations. However, Haley’s chances of winning the Republican nomination and running against presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in November remain slim.
Haley’s victory gives her 19 of the 1,215 delegate votes needed for the nomination. Trump won the first eight primaries by large margins. According to opinion polls, the former president will continue to win almost all primaries.
Washington an anti-Trump stronghold
It is not the first time that Republicans have opposed Trump in the capital. In the last Republican nominating election in the District of Columbia in 2016, Trump received less than 14 percent of the vote and no delegates, despite winning the nomination nationally.
Washington DC is 100 percent urban, and a relatively high proportion of residents have college degrees. Many top Republican politicians – including Trump – portray the city as infested with crime and ruled by out-of-touch elites. Trump’s base is essentially rural and particularly strong in areas with low levels of education.
On Tuesday, the so-called Super Tuesday, primaries will take place in 15 states and one US territory. 874 Republican delegates will then be up for election. The Democratic primary in Washington DC will take place in June.