Even though she had a substantial advertising budget advantage, Nikki Haley lost the New Hampshire primary 54.5% to 43.2%. She was funded mostly by organizations like Americans for Prosperity Action, a super PAC founded by the Koch network.
Reports show the amount spent on advertisements by pro-Haley organizations was $30.4 million, whereas the amount spent by pro-Trump groups was $15.7 million. As to the records of the Federal Election Commission, the super PAC Americans for Prosperity Action has spent over $1.5 million supporting Haley and $611,558 opposing Trump in New Hampshire since early January.
Even after she conceded defeat, Haley assured a New Hampshire audience that her campaign was far from over. Dozens of states remain, and her beloved South Carolina is up next.
Haley will have the opportunity to earn delegates on February 25th in South Carolina’s primary. According to reports, Haley will only be on the ballot for the nonbinding primary election in Nevada, which is held around two weeks earlier, and not for the caucus, where delegates are up for grabs.
Defending Democracy Together (DDT), which Haley got significant support in New Hampshire, was co-founded by former Republican Bill Kristol and supported by the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a dark money organization heavily connected with Democrats. The FEC reports that since January 16th, DDT has spent somewhat less than $100,000 endorsing Haley.
According to many large Haley contributors who spoke with the media, they were doubtful that Haley could get the nomination if she failed in New Hampshire.
January 18, the Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone, one of the billionaire donors to Haley’s presidential campaign, had stated his intention to wait for the New Hampshire primary results before determining whether or not to provide a donation to Haley’s campaign.
Langone said he would not pour money into Haley’s campaign if she failed to get momentum in New Hampshire. He implied that should Haley fail to get the nomination, he would likely cast his ballot for Trump in the general election.
