Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley could lose the Nevada primary to the "none of these candidates" option, according to a new survey, an outcome that would threaten her hopes of defeating former President Donald Trump.
The loss to essentially no candidate would damper Haley's battle to remain in the 2024 primary after Trump won the Iowa caucuses by more than 30 points and the New Hampshire primary by 11 points over Haley.
Unlike the earlier nominating states, Nevada is unique in that it will hold both a primary and caucuses. Trump is participating in the caucuses on Feb. 8, which the state GOP will use to allocate delegates. As the only major candidate running, Trump is expected to win the caucuses and the state's 26 delegates. Haley chose to run in the Feb. 6 primary, forfeiting the right to appear on the caucus ballot.
Registered Republicans are allowed to participate in both the caucuses and the primary.
"Here's my conclusion: If Nikki Haley's going to lose to no one, how can she beat Trump? How can she beat Joe Biden?" Revere Solutions CEO Woodrow Johnston, who is not affiliated with any presidential campaign, told the Washington Examiner. "This whole narrative that she's the best candidate against Joe Biden is really just kind of shattered because it's like she can't even beat literally no one."
She trails Trump in the Palmetto State, 63.8% to 31.9%, according to the FiveThirtyEight polling average. But Haley said her goal is to perform better than she did in New Hampshire, where she received 43.2% of the vote.
Johnston predicted that a loss in Nevada followed by another in South Carolina could be the death knell for Haley's campaign.The poll, by Providence, a joint polling venture with pollster David Wolfson of DecipherAi and Johnston of Revere Solutions, was conducted Sunday and Monday with a sample size of 476 voters. The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 4 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.
