Republican Nikki Haley won the internal party vote in Washington’s Capital District, the Republican Party in Washington announced on Sunday evening (local time) after the vote. The result doesn’t change Trump’s clear dominance of the race, but it breaks his previous winning streak and gives Haley at least a symbolic success — even if only a small one. Trump had previously easily won all of the party’s internal primaries and is also the clear favorite in the remaining votes.
The backdrop for victory
The American capital is extremely democratic, urban and highly educated. Washington is considered a stronghold of the anti-Trump camp, supporters of the ex-president are clearly underrepresented here – hence Haley’s success, which is more of a symbolic nature.
About 700,000 people live in the American capital on the east coast of the country. In the greater Washington area, including the surrounding metropolitan area, there are several million. According to the Republican Party, only more than 2,000 votes were cast in the internal vote in Washington and there was only one polling station. The result therefore has limited meaning. In most US primaries, only those who have registered for the party in question can participate. Turnout at elections is therefore often relatively low. According to the party, Haley received about 63 percent of the votes in the American capital, Trump about 33 percent.
The mathematics of primaries
Anyone who wants to become a presidential candidate in the US must first win in the parties’ internal primaries. The primary election voting process is complex and varies from state to state. The two major parties vote on the delegates who will then choose their candidate for the White House at the nominating party conventions in the summer. The Republican nominating convention will take place in mid-July in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 2,429 delegates meet there. To win, a candidate must gather at least 1,215 delegates.
Trump had already won 244 delegates in the primaries in recent weeks and days, while Haley won only 24. The votes are sometimes awarded proportionately to the voting results, so Haley has already been able to collect a number of votes without winning a single primary. In Washington’s Capital District, only 19 delegate votes were up for grabs; Haley now has 43. The balance of power in the duel does not change significantly as a result of the victory.
The struggle for the sovereignty of interpretation
In any case, it is annoying for Trump that he is no longer undefeated in the primaries. He responded to Haley’s victory accordingly. On the platform he co-founded, Truth Social, the ex-president wrote that he “intentionally stayed away from the Washington elections because it is the ‘swamp,’ with very few delegates and no benefits.” Haley, who, on the other hand, he insulted as a “brainhead”, spent all her time, money and efforts on the vote there. Instead, he had won several other primaries himself this weekend, Trump wrote, speaking of a “complete destruction of a very weak opponent.” Trump’s campaign team dismissed Haley’s success as a sign that she could only score points with the capital’s establishment, but not with ordinary citizens.
Haley’s team, on the other hand, spoke of a historic result: Never before has a woman won a presidential primary among American Republicans. It is also “not surprising that the Republicans closest to the dysfunction in Washington reject Donald Trump and all his chaos.”
A matter of time
Despite several scandals, escapades and a chaotic term as president, the 77-year-old has strong support among the party base. Even major legal problems in the election year – four indictments in criminal proceedings and sensitive damages in two civil proceedings – have so far not caused Trump any political damage.
It’s unclear how long Haley will stay in the race, as she essentially no longer has a chance to beat Trump. Even in her home state of South Carolina, where Haley once served as governor, Trump won by a wide margin in late February.
Supporters of the ex-president have been calling on the 52-year-old for weeks to give up and end her election campaign. However, Haley has so far emphasized that she will hold out at least until “Super Tuesday”: this is the next major milestone of the election year next Tuesday, when voting will take place in parallel in more than a dozen states. In one fell swoop, more than a third of all delegate votes for the Republican nominating convention will be awarded. Opinion polls predict one victory after another for Trump in the ‘Super Tuesday’ states. Haley could very well throw it next.
The actual presidential elections will finally take place on November 5. Incumbent Joe Biden would like to run for a new term for the Democrats. He has no serious competition in his party’s internal race. Everything currently indicates that Biden and Trump will eventually compete against each other again. (saw/sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
