Nikki Haley headed to Indian Land in presidential campaign as she seeks to beat Trump
Republican candidate Nikki Haley scheduled a Friday night campaign event in Indian Land as she seeks to cut into former President Donald Trump’s lead three weeks before South Carolina holds its presidential primary.
Haley, the S.C. governor from 2011 to 2017, is scheduled to speak at 6:30 p.m. in the gymnasium at Indian Land High School, according to the campaign website and a Haley campaign spokesperson. The school is located at 6100 Charlotte Highway.
Indian Land is in the Lancaster County panhandle in Upstate South Carolina, south of the North Carolina border with Charlotte and east of Fort Mill. It’s the fastest growing area in one of the Palmetto State’s fastest growing counties.
The event will be open to the public. For event information, visit the Haley campaign website.
South Carolina’s Republican presidential primary is Feb. 24.
Haley trails Trump
It is the first Haley campaign stop in the area since Republican nominating contest narrowed to just Haley and Trump. Although Haley is from South Carolina, the Real Clear Politics average of polls gives Trump a 30-point advantage over Haley. The website FiveThirtyEight gives Trump a similar 65.8% to 31.5% advantage over Haley in South Carolina.
Haley, from Bamberg County, has banked on a strong showing in her home state to try and rebound from finishes behind Trump in Iowa and New Hampshire earlier in January.
Haley, 52, was ambassador to the United Nations under Trump when Trump was president. But in recent campaign events, advertising and appearances, the two candidates have exchanged sharp jabs at each other over age, ability, and issues.
Haley appeared at a campaign event in August in Indian Land where hundreds of people were in attendance.
Haley is also holding events this week on Thursday in Columbia and Hilton Head, and Sunday near Charleston.
Trump has so far not set any events for York, Chester, or Lancaster counties before the Feb. 24 primary. Trump has a scheduled event for Feb. 23 in Columbia, The State reported.
