After former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley withdrew from the Republican primary earlier this year, her supporters began to show signs of dissent within the party, which has largely rallied around Donald Trump. Despite Haley's eventual endorsement of Trump, some of her loyalists have shifted their support to Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
Haley urged Trump to engage with her supporters, stating, “Trump would be smart to reach out to the millions of people who voted for me and continue to support me.” However, it was the Biden campaign, not Trump’s, that reached out to Haley voters. Joe Biden directly appealed to them, assuring on social media, “There is a place for you in my campaign.”
With Biden no longer in the race, some former Haley voters have organized under a new political action committee, Haley Voters for Harris, to support Harris's bid for the presidency. Craig Snyder, the campaign director for the PAC, explained that many Haley supporters voted for her in the primaries as a statement against the direction of the Republican Party under Trump.
Snyder emphasized that while these voters may have policy differences with the Democratic Party, they view supporting Harris as a continuation of their opposition to Trump. He noted that the group is working to persuade other center-right voters to cross the political divide and support Harris, particularly in crucial swing states.
John “Jack” Merritt, a lifelong Republican and former Haley supporter, expressed his disillusionment with the polarization of American politics. He believes Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, are more likely to govern pragmatically, especially if faced with a Republican-controlled Congress.
Snyder acknowledged that it might be challenging for lifelong Republicans to back a Democrat, but he argued that Harris's prosecutorial background, often criticized by progressives, could appeal to more conservative voters. Emily Matthews, co-chair of the Haley Voters Working Group, highlighted Harris’s recent shift towards more moderate messaging, particularly on issues like border security, as a positive development.
Despite receiving a cease and desist letter from Haley’s lawyers, the Haley Voters for Harris PAC remains undeterred. Snyder affirmed that the group is not misrepresenting Haley’s position but is simply comprised of former Haley supporters who have chosen to back Harris in the upcoming election.
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