‘Never Trump’ vote consolidates around Nikki Haley as she picks up Tim Scott donors and sees growing crowds in New Hampshire

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is consolidating the “Never Trump” vote behind her, drawing support from some of Sen. Tim Scott’s top donors and needing overflow rooms in New Hampshire to accommodate her growing crowd.

With less than two months before the first presidential election of 2024 — the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 15 — Haley has come in second behind former President Donald Trump in New Hampshire and her home state of South Carolina.

The former U.N. ambassador is also giving Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — long considered Trump’s most likely top rival — a run for his money in Iowa.

Last month, an NBC/Des Moines Register poll found that DeSantis and Haley were tied in Iowa, each receiving 16 percent of likely caucusgoers, while as it stands she trails the Florida governor by three points. Polling average from Iowa Real Clear Politics.

DeSantis recently received help from the state and received support from Iowa’s popular Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds and a key evangelical leader, Bob Vander Plaats.

This week in New Hampshire, presidential candidate Nikki Haley needed overflow rooms as Granite State voters were paying attention, especially those who don’t want former President Donald Trump to become the GOP nominee for the third time in a row.

But that also means DeSantis must do well in Iowa — and close Trump’s current nearly 30-point lead.

Haley, on the other hand, just needs to have a better-than-expected night in Iowa to boost her chances of becoming Trump’s biggest rival when New Hampshire Republicans vote in the nation’s first primary on Jan. 23.

And again when Republicans vote in South Carolina on February 24, where they no longer have home competition, with Scott – the other South Carolinian in the race – making his surprise announcement 10 days ago that he would end his campaign.

In New Hampshire, Granite State voters are already paying attention.

Politico reported this on Wednesday that Haley’s events in New Hampshire this week required overflow spaces.

The news organization also found that Haley and her super PAC, Stand for America Fund Inc., are poised to spend the most money on TV ads from Thanksgiving through the New Hampshire primaries in both Iowa and New Hampshire, with the campaign spending $ yields 4.2 million. ads and the PAC is setting aside $3.8 million for ads.

Overall, Haley’s campaign said it planned to earmark $10 million in television ads in the first two states.

Nikki Haley appears poised for a better-than-expected caucus night in Iowa as Hawkeye State voters take notice of her as well. She also doesn’t have to come second in Iowa, while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will have to perform well

Politico also reported that Haley was expanding her donor base.

Billionaire Paul Singer, who has been critical of Trump, plans to participate in a fundraiser for Haley in New York City on December 4.

Additionally, Greg Wendt, who endorsed Scott, is now showing interest in Haley, Politico said.

“Never Trumpers and ‘Anyone But Trumpers’ are really consolidating around her from a financial perspective,” Doug Gross, an Iowa-based Republican operative who plans to advocate for Haley, told Politico.

Gross told the website that he had spent months trying to figure out which candidate would be the best alternative to Trump.

“Nikki Haley is certainly locking up a lot of the Never Trumpers,” Matthew Bartlett, a veteran of the Republican presidential campaign, told Politico. ‘She really has room to grow.’