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Nikki Haley
Photo: Drew Martin / ZUMA Wire / IMAGO
In the US Republican primary campaign for the presidential election, Nikki Haley has won powerful allies: The influential political organization around billionaire Charles Koch spoke out in favor of the former governor of South Carolina and former UN ambassador. In a statement, the group Americans for Prosperity Action (AFP Action) said that a winner had been sought and found.
"Donald Trump and Joe Biden had their chance," the group's website said. "Nikki Haley will beat Joe Biden, reduce our debt, end negligent spending, secure the border, and unleash America's energy."
The Koch organization, through its super-PAC AFP Action, controls millions of dollars that the group can use in the election campaign. In the U.S., such "Political Action Committees" (PACs) are allowed to collect arbitrary sums of money, but are not subject to the control of the candidates.
Still in third place
Haley is now also supported by the Koch network. During the 2022 congressional elections alone, AFP Action said it made more than two million phone calls, sought direct conversations with voters at 5.5 million doorsteps and sent more than 69 million letters. The organization advocates for tax cuts and the dismantling of government regulations.
However, it remained unclear whether AFP Action's support will give Haley a decisive advantage. It is true that other donors could now join the Koch role model. However, according to the polls, the 51-year-old is in third place among Republican candidates in the primaries. According to the statistics website FiveThirtyEight, former President Trump leads in most polls by more than 40 percentage points over Ron DeSantis, the governor of Florida. He gets about 13 percent of the vote, Haley <> percent.
The presidential election itself will take place in early November 2024, with the first primaries being held in January.
sak/Reuters