Trump up Big in South Carolina, New Polling Shows

President Donald Trump

Former President Trump maintains a strong lead over competitor Nikki Haley, according to new polling, going into the all-important South Carolina Primary.

After a big win in New Hampshire, the Trump campaign comes into the Palmetto State with a great deal of momentum. The former president beat out ambassador and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley by 11.1%. Trump received 54.3% of the vote, while Haley secured 43.2%. By the end of the night, 12 delegates were rewarded to Trump, with the remaining nine delegates being given to Haley.

As it stands now, Trump is sitting on 32 delegates, as Haley trails behind him with 17 delegates. The first candidate to receive 1,215 delegates will clinch the Republican presidential nomination.

Both candidates leave New Hampshire with their eyes set on the next target – South Carolina. Being Haley’s home state, many may think that she would fare well amongst the populace, however, polls say otherwise.

According to Real Clear Politics, Trump has an average lead over Haley in South Carolina by 30.2 percentage points.

When it comes to winning the Republican presidential election, current polling data shows Trump up a staggering 55.1 percentage points.

Many prominent figures in South Carolina have chosen to endorse former president Trump over the state’s own Haley. South Carolina Senator and former presidential candidate Tim Scott (R) recently endorsed the former president. On top of this, South Carolina Representative Nancy Mace (R) decided to go against Haley and instead endorse Trump.

As it stands now, Trump has the support of 66 South Carolina legislators to Haley’s nine.

While the polling numbers may look like it's over for the Haley camp, they continue to show optimism.

The former South Carolina Governor tweeted “The energy on the ground in South Carolina is off the charts! Let’s GO!”

According to Haley, “South Carolinians don’t want the DC swamp telling them what to do. They know this race is far from over! I’ve run against the establishment my entire career, and I’m ready to do it again.”

The South Carolina primary will take place on February 24. There will be a total of 50 delegates up for grabs in the Palmetto State.

Christian Pitten

Christian is based in Tallahassee, Florida. Born and raised in Scituate, Massachusetts, Pitten is currently a sophomore at Florida State University, with hopes to study business management and political science. Currently, Pitten is a staff writer for Florida State's newpaper the FSView.