The American conservative political network led by billionaire Charles Koch supported this Tuesday (28) pre-candidate Nikki Haley for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
The support gives the former South Carolina governor a boost among party rivals struggling to make a dent against leader Donald Trump.
The influential business group, which advocates for tax cuts and less government regulation, has made it clear that defeating former President Trump in the race for the Republican nomination is a top priority, arguing that he would lose the November elections in an eventual contest with the current president. Joe Biden.
In addition to controlling millions of dollars in campaign spending, the Koch-affiliated election committee, known as Americans for Prosperity Action, or AFP Action, has thousands of employees across the country who will, from now on, promote Haley among potential voters.
Among Haley’s main weaknesses, according to her campaign team, is a relatively underdeveloped network of campaign staff and allies in the state of Iowa, which votes on January 15, 2024 in the internal party dispute.
It is far from clear whether the AFP’s support will be a game-changer, as Trump leads his Republican rivals by more than 40 points in most national polls. About 10% of Republican primary voters support Haley, according to an average of polls maintained by the poll-tracking website FiveThirtyEight.
But the support could tip the scales in Haley’s favor in a tight battle with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for second place. About 13% of voters support DeSantis, according to FiveThirtyEight.
The group’s endorsement could help her persuade other major donors to support her. Many of them are considering making their support for Haleu official, but worry that the distance between her and Trump is too great.
“The Kochs have a huge following,” said Republican donor Fred Zeidman of Texas, one of Haley’s top fundraisers.
According to the group, internal polls indicate that Haley is in the best position to defeat Trump in the Republican primaries. They also “consistently show” that Haley is by far the strongest candidate to defeat Biden in the general election.
“We would support a candidate who can turn the page on Washington’s toxic culture – and a candidate who can win. And last night we completed that analysis,” AFP Action said in a statement.
DeSantis’ supporters disputed those claims, saying he is in a better position to channel Trump supporters than Haley. However, Haley appears ahead of DeSantis in some of the states that are the first to hold Republican primaries.
Source: CNN Brasil
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