Donald Trump defeated Nikki Haley in the South Carolina primary Saturday, extending his dominance of the Republican primary contest. Nearly every major outlet immediately called the race for Trump, who took the stage shortly thereafter to tout his victory. Haley’s poor showing — Trump was estimated to win by around 20 points and claim nearly all of the state’s 50 delegates — would traditionally be a death knell for a candidate in their home state.
But Haley promised to stay in the race, declaring in her election night speech that “there are huge numbers of voters in our Republican primaries who are saying they want an alternative.”
“Today, in South Carolina, we’re getting around 40% of the vote. That’s about what we got in New Hampshire, too. I’m going to count it,” Haley told the crowd at her South Carolina HQ.
“I know 40% is not 50%,” the state’s former governor added. “But I also know: 40% is not some tiny group.”
