Nikki Haley is preparing to overtake Ron DeSantis for second place in the Republican primary polls. In addition to taking advantage of Tim Scott's departure, some of the senator's big donors were already pigeonholed behind the former governor, so she set aside an important reserve of money to invest in ads in two key states.
Haley's campaign will set aside $10 million to win advertising space on television, radio and digital media. She hopes this will be the final push reaching the first two states that will elect her as the favorite candidate, Iowa and New Hampshire.
The strategy involves becoming the best alternative to Trump on the eve of the South Carolina primaries, thus gaining enough momentum on Super Tuesday.
We've got a country to save. We're in it to win it. pic.twitter.com/HfCXXLpMVD
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) November 13, 2023
With this in mind, the Florida governor's campaign has already begun to go on the defensive with his competitor and reaffirmed that his candidacy is the only one capable of defeating Trump in an eventual head-to-head match.
"As Americans look behind the curtain, they will see she [Haley] does not have the extensive record of conservative achievements that Ron DeSantis boasts. It's clear there is no way Nikki Haley can beat Donald Trump, and every dollar spent on her candidacy is an in-kind to the Trump Campaign. We are confident the Iowa voters will see who will best represent them and their values," DeSantis spokesman Andrew Romeo said recently.
On the other hand, Haley's campaign is fully confident in its strategy. "Nikki Haley's momentum and path to victory are clear. The same can't be said for Ron DeSantis, who, even with a decent showing in Iowa, can't afford a cup of coffee at the Red Arrow diner in New Hampshire and is a mere tourist in South Carolina," said Betsy Ankney, campaign manager of the former ambassador to the United Nations, according to AP.
