Beaufort News

Third time’s a charm? After Hilton Head and Bluffton, Haley’s coming to Beaufort Wednesday.

Former S.C. Governor and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley turns and thanks 14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone for introducing her at her political bus tour stop on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024 as she campaigned for the GOP presidential nominee at Bluffton Oyster Factory Park in Old Town Bluffton.
Former S.C. Governor and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley turns and thanks 14th Circuit Solicitor Duffie Stone for introducing her at her political bus tour stop on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024 as she campaigned for the GOP presidential nominee at Bluffton Oyster Factory Park in Old Town Bluffton. dmartin@islandpacket.com

Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley is bringing her campaign for the GOP nomination for president to Beaufort County yet again as the Lowcountry continues to attract major party attention in advance of the state’s presidential preference primaries. Haley has some ground to gain if she wants to leave the Palmetto State with a victory. According to the Winthrop Poll released Wednesday 65% of likely South Carolina voters support Donald Trump and that gives him a 36% lead over Haley.

This time, Haley is headed north of the Broad River to Beaufort, where she will speak at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the city’s Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park on Bay Street as part of an “early voting bus tour,” her campaign announced Friday.

South Carolina’s Republican presidential preference primary is Feb. 24 but early voting began Feb. 12 at the Hilton Head Government Complex, Bluffton Rec Center, Beaufort Voter Registration Office in Beaufort and the St Helena Library Branch.

“Hear directly from Nikki about her vision and her plan to make America strong again,” her campaign said in the announcement.

It’s the third time this month that Haley has stopped in Beaufort County in her campaign for the GOP nomination against front-runner former President Donald Trump, who named Haley the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during his term.

Haley also spoke to 300 at the Oyster Factory Park in Bluffton Feb. 13, and held a meet and greet Feb. 8 at Forrest Fire BBQ restaurant on Hilton Head Island.

Haley’s stop in Beaufort will be a third visit by a 2024 presidential campaign.

On Jan. 11, Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, made a campaign stop at Old Grace Chapel A.M.E. Church to campaign for his wife and President Joe Biden, prior to the Feb. 3 Democratic presidential primary, which Biden won easily.

On Tuesday, Jan. 30, Mitch Landrieu, the former mayor of New Orleans who is the national co-chair of the Biden-Harris campaign, and Christale Spain, chairwoman of the South Carolina Democratic Party, gave a pep talk at Singleton’s Barber Shop in Beaufort.

This story was originally published February 17, 2024 at 10:46 AM.

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Karl Puckett
The Island Packet
Karl Puckett covers the city of Beaufort, town of Port Royal and other communities north of the Broad River for The Beaufort Gazette and Island Packet. The Minnesota native also has worked at newspapers in his home state, Alaska, Wisconsin and Montana.
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