Nikki Haley (Anadolu)
HOUSTON – Nikki Haley notched her first win over Donald Trump on Sunday in the Washington, D.C. primary election, marking an historic victory.
The former South Carolina governor became the first woman to win a Republican presidential primary or caucus by beating the former president 63 percent to 33 percent in the US District of Columbia, according to multiple media outlets.
Trump has beaten Haley in every contest, starting with the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary and also won the primary in Haley's home state of South Carolina.
But Haley vowed to fight until the end despite the uphill battle against Trump and the D.C. victory gave her campaign a political breath of life.
"It's not surprising that Republicans closest to Washington dysfunction are rejecting Donald Trump and all his chaos," Haley campaign spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas said in a statement.
Political experts said Haley's win was more symbolic and did a little to overcome the daunting task of overtaking Trump, who is considered the frontrunner to become the Republican presidential nominee and is leading by a commanding margin in most nationwide polls.
Haley will pick up just 19 delegates from the victory, which is a drop in the bucket considering that 1,215 delegates are needed to clinch the nomination.
"I purposely stayed away from the D.C. Vote because it is the 'Swamp,' with very few delegates, and no upside," Trump posted on social media regarding the primary.
The focus now shifts to the nation's biggest day of the primary season known as Super Tuesday, which is set on March 5, when most US states hold their primary elections or caucuses.
The 15 states taking part in Super Tuesday are Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Virginia. The US territory of America Samoa will also hold a vote.
The candidate who reaches the 1,215 delegate count would be nominated formally at the Republican National Convention, to be held from July 15-18 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Anadolu)
