February 27, 2024 02:26 PM UTC

Hello Colorado, Nikki Haley Must Be Going

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• by: Colorado Pols

The last remaining Republican primary challenger to ex-President Donald Trump, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, has so far made good on her pledge to stay in the race after badly losing her home state, appearing today as promised at a campaign rally Centennial’s Wings over the Rockies museum:

Haley managed what could be considered a decent turnout for a congressional race, but of course nothing compared to the stadium-size crowds her opponent regularly draws. Haley was reportedly introduced at today’s rally by Suzanne Taheri, a former state legislative candidate and deputy secretary of state–if you’ve never heard of her, click here and be assured we don’t blame you. Yesterday as Ernest Luning of the Colorado Springs Gazette reports, Haley’s campaign released its Colorado “leadership team,” consisting of similarly second-tier no-names:

The co-chairs of Haley’s Colorado leadership team include former U.S. Attorneys Troy Eid and Jason Dunn; Tom Norton, a former Colorado Senate President and former mayor of Greeley; former diplomat Todd Chapman; Prowers County Commissioner Wendy Buxton-Andrade; Wil Armstrong, a former congressional candidate and chair of the Colorado Christian University Board of Trustees; and Greg Lorden and Kimberley Lorden, co-founders of the Centennial-based Ambleside School of Colorado.

This sad sack of “who?” sums up the problem for Haley as Super Tuesday draws near, illustrative of how little preparation Haley has done to actually compete in Colorado. The ability of unaffiliated voters to participate in Colorado’s primary is an opportunity that Haley has failed to capitalize on with basically no local organizing and reportedly only a single staffer on the ground in the state. Turnout in Colorado’s Super Tuesday primary with a week remaining sits at a dismal 10%, which isn’t a good sign for those hoping against hope for an unaffiliated-driven Haley groundswell.

Although the pressure is intense for Haley to end her so-far winless primary challenge, likely to intensify further after another expected drubbing in Michigan this evening, she appears resolved to stay in the race long enough for Colorado’s votes to count. But the most likely outcome one week from tomorrow morning is the same: Haley making the exit that was inevitable weeks ago.