Nikki Haley projected to become first woman to win a Republican primary

(WASHINGTON) — Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is projected to win Washington, D.C.’s Republican primary on Sunday, ABC News reports, her first primary win over former President Donald Trump, but one that does little to ameliorate the daunting task of actually leapfrogging him in the race for the GOP nomination.

The projected win will make Haley the first woman to ever win a Republican presidential primary or caucus.

According to research from the Rutgers University Center for American Women and Politics about major female presidential candidates, Republican candidate Margaret Chase Smith (1964) was the first woman to have her name placed into nomination for President but hadn’t won any primaries.

Elizabeth Dole ran as a Republican in 1999 but withdrew before the primaries.

Michele Bachmann ran as a Republican in 2012 but withdrew after the Iowa caucuses.

Carly Fiorina ran as a Republican in 2016 but withdrew after New Hampshire (and lost in Iowa and New Hampshire).

Haley campaign spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas highlighted this milestone on X, writing: “This makes Nikki Haley the first woman to win a Republican primary in U.S. history.”

Nineteen delegates were up for grabs. Early voting was on Friday and Saturday, and absentee mail-in ballots had to have been received by Saturday.

Democrats will hold their own presidential primary in the city on June 4, where President Joe Biden faces only nominal opposition.

State significance

Washington, D.C.’s primary is not anticipated to have major implications for either party and the district has reliably voted for Democrats over the years.

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