Donald Trump Leads by a Wide Margin Over Nikki Haley in South Carolina, New Poll Shows

According to a recent poll released by Winthrop University, former President Donald Trump holds a significant lead over the state's former Governor, Nikki Haley, in the race for the Republican Party's nomination in South Carolina. The poll, conducted ahead of the Feb. 24 GOP primary, revealed that 65 percent of likely voters in the state would vote for Trump, giving him a substantial 36 percent advantage over Haley. Among Republican voters, a striking 72 percent showed their support for Trump.

Independents' Split and General Election Scenarios

Independent voters, however, showed a more balanced split between the two candidates. The poll indicated that 42 percent of independent likely voters backed Haley, while 43 percent favored Trump. Winthrop Poll director Scott Huffmon emphasized that while Haley demonstrated strength among independent likely voters, she would need to rally more of them to participate in order to narrow Trump's lead.

The poll also explored potential general election scenarios, showing that Trump would secure a lead of at least 15 points over President Joe Biden among all registered voters in South Carolina. On the other hand, Haley would outperform Trump in a hypothetical matchup against Biden, leading by at least 18 points. These figures, however, do not take into account undecided voters or those who may register between now and the general election.

Important Considerations

In addition, the poll did not include data on undecided voters or those who may register between the time of the poll and the general election. This information could potentially shift the outcomes in the general election.

It's worth noting that in the 2020 Democratic primary, President Joe Biden secured all 55 delegates in South Carolina. The poll surveyed 1,717 registered South Carolina voters and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.