(NewsNation) — Nikki Haley’s campaign faces an uphill battle in South Carolina, especially after losing Tuesday night’s primary against former President Donald Trump. New Hampshire was the state she bet big on, and now, she’s turning to her home state where she is lagging by double digits behind the former president.
The latest polling by The Hill/Decision Desk HQ shows Trump with a 33-point lead. Haley is in a distant second with 26% of voters vowing support in South Carolina. It’s a significant margin with a month to go before Republican voters head to the polls in the Palmetto State Feb. 24.
A large roadblock for Haley has been the slew of Trump endorsements from South Carolina politicians. Five of the six GOP House members have endorsed the former president as well as both GOP senators.
Several state officials, including the incumbent governor, have also thrown their support behind Trump.
Regardless, Haley says she’s in the race for the long haul despite Tuesday night’s loss.
“South Carolina voters don’t want a coronation. They want an election and we’re going to give them one. We are just getting started,” Haley said.
The former South Carolina governor is not slowing down. She will hold a rally in North Charleston on Wednesday night, kicking off her Palmetto State swing ahead of next month’s first-in-the-south primary.