(NewsNation) — Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is emerging as a runner-up in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, according to recent polls and interviews in Iowa.
In an interview on NewsNation’s “On Balance,” host Leland Vittert posed a forward-looking question, asking if Haley, if nominated, would consider former President Donald Trump as her running mate.
Haley responded, “I’m not going to think about who’s going to be my VP yet, but in six months, I’ll be happy to tell you.”
Haley’s team, which includes members from Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s 2016 campaign, is strategically targeting key counties in Iowa, such as Polk and Dallas County, where she aims to garner support from both Republicans and crossover Democrats and independents. Their goal is to perform well in Iowa and carry that momentum into New Hampshire and beyond.
During a rally in Iowa, Haley outlined her campaign strategy, stating, “Our goal is to make today better than yesterday. That’s it—strong in Iowa, strong in New Hampshire, strong in South Carolina, and keep it going from there.”
When asked about the challenge of appealing to both establishment Republicans and working-class Trump voters, Haley emphasized her focus on winning over a majority of Americans.
“Republicans have lost the last seven out of eight popular votes for president. That’s nothing to be proud of. We should want to win the majority of Americans,” she said.
Addressing the possibility of Democrats and independents crossing over to support her in the Iowa caucuses, Haley welcomed the idea, emphasizing her commitment to building a broad coalition. “I welcome it because we want to win a majority of Americans,” she said.
Responding to questions about her electability in the Republican primary, Haley remained confident, pointing out her consistent upward trajectory in the polls. “If you look at the polls that came out, even yesterday, I’m the only one that goes up. Everybody else has gone down,” she asserted.