Outside groups have significantly reduced their support for Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley ahead of Super Tuesday, the most consequential day of the GOP primary so far.
Independent committees have spent just over $4 million supporting Haley in the 15 states holding Republican primaries or caucuses, far less than they did in prior high-stakes primary races, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) records. By comparison, outside groups spent about $40 million boosting Haley in Iowa, $31 million supporting her in New Hampshire and $8 million to help Haley in her home state of South Carolina, FEC filings show.
Despite outside groups spending nearly $80 million across New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina, Haley lost each of those races by double digits. (RELATED: Nikki Haley’s Backers Spent Millions Boosting Her Bid In Her Home State. She Still Lost By 20 Points)
Outside support for Haley in Super Tuesday states was especially low during February and early March, the direct lead-up to Super Tuesday, according to FEC records. Between Feb. 1 and March 2, outside groups spent about $884,000 supporting Haley across all 15 Super Tuesday states.
Groups supporting Haley in Super Tuesday states include SFA Fund, a pro-Haley super PAC, Americans for Prosperity Action, a Koch-backed super PAC, and Independents Moving the Needle, an organization representing politically unaffiliated voters who support the former South Carolina governor, according to FEC records. The groups have assisted Haley’s nomination bid by canvassing, paying for advertisements and sending messages to voters encouraging them to vote, FEC filings show.
Americans for Prosperity Action ended its financial support for Haley on Feb. 25, saying that while “she has made it clear that she will continue to fight and we wholeheartedly support her in this effort,” the organization doesn’t “believe any outside group can make a material difference to widen her path to victory,” according to an internal memo.
Americans for Prosperity Action’s last expenditure supporting Haley in a Super Tuesday state was on Feb. 16 and paid for canvassing in Arkansas, FEC records show.
(Photo by John Tully/Getty Images)
While outside spending to support Haley on Super Tuesday has been relatively low compared to previous key days in the Republican presidential primary, the stakes are much higher.
Haley has said that she would stay in the presidential race until at least Super Tuesday’s elections, The Associated Press reported.
There are 865 delegates up for grabs on Tuesday. The 11 other Republican primaries held so far have awarded just 331 delegates.
Iowa and New Hampshire, where groups backing Haley spent tens of millions of dollars, only awarded a collective 62 delegates.
States holding GOP primaries or caucuses include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Utah.
Despite Haley’s primary losses, she is still raising significant funds from donors. January, for instance, was the Haley campaign’s best fundraising month of the cycle.
SFA Fund, the Haley campaign, Americans for Prosperity Action and Independents Moving the Needle did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment.
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