Nikki Haley finally received some support from the Senate GOP in her run for the White House against Donald Trump. On Friday, two moderates from opposite sides of the country announced they were backing the former ambassador to the United Nations.
Haley’s congressional endorsements have been limited, with only one member of the US House of Representatives endorsing her run so far – Representative Ralph Norman of South Carolina.
NBC News reported:
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, both backed the former South Carolina governor in separate statements.
“I’m proud to endorse Gov. Nikki Haley,” Murkowski said in a statement released by the Haley campaign. “America needs someone with the right values, vigor, and judgment to serve as our next President—and in this race, there is no one better than her. Nikki will be a strong leader and uphold the ideals of the Republican Party while serving as a President for all Americans.”
Collins told the Bangor Daily News that Haley “has the energy, intellect, and temperament that we need to lead our country in these very tumultuous times.” Haley’s campaign confirmed the endorsement to NBC News.
Voters in Alaska, Maine and more than a dozen other states will cast ballots on Super Tuesday, when 865 Republican delegates will be up for grabs. Haley has yet to win a primary or caucus.
Alaska’s GOP presidential caucus will be held on Super Tuesday’s March 5 election when 15 states will hold primaries and caucuses to choose the next Republican nominee.
“Murkowski represents the best of Alaska—she is a trailblazer and a strong, independent voice who doesn’t bow down to the powers that be in Washington,” Haley said in a statement.
“As president, I will fight to make Alaskans—and all Americans—proud by restoring fiscal sanity, energy dominance, and limited government.”
Murkowski has diverged from her party on several occasions over the years, notably on issues related to abortion rights. Additionally, she opposed Senate Republicans and former President Trump in their attempts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, widely known as Obamacare. She also fell for the slanderous attacks on Brett Kavanaugh during and voted against him joining the court.
Following her vote to remove Trump, the former president endorsed Kelly Tshibaka, her primary opponent. Nevertheless, Murkowski secured re-election, something largely attributed to Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system, which benefits moderates.
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