Despite an influx of cash and support from Democrats, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley brutally lost the Republican presidential primary in Virginia to former President Donald Trump as he dominated the Super Tuesday races.
Trump took all 24 delegates up for grabs in the state, winning about 434,000 votes at the time of reporting. With 95 percent of the votes in, Haley was losing by nearly 30 points, with some 239,000 votes.
Haley’s defeat comes despite the state having an open primary, which she reportedly hoped would boost her. An exit poll from The Washington Post showed that of the self-identified Democrats who voted in the Virginia primary, 11 percent voted for Trump, while 84 percent voted for Haley. Self-identified independents made up 30 percent of GOP primary voters, with 48 percent voting for Trump and 49 percent voting for Haley, according to the poll at publishing time.
“Haley’s advisers have frequently noted that 11 of the 16 contests on Super Tuesday have open or semi-open primaries in which the former South Carolina governor could expand the universe of voters beyond the Republican base, including key targets like Virginia, Texas, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Vermont,” The Washington Post reported.
But Haley’s support among Democrats and a few Republicans could not help her cross the finish line — and neither could cold-hard cash. Democratic donors such as LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman reportedly donated $250,000 to a pro-Haley super PAC despite saying he would vote for
