Indian American Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley received a major boost Tuesday with the influential network associated with billionaire Charles Koch announcing its support for her as an alternative to former President Donald Trump.
The decision could dramatically reshape the Republican field – roughly seven weeks before the Iowa caucuses – as Koch backed Americans for Prosperity Action deploys its vast resources and standing army of conservative activists in support of former US ambassador to UN under Trump, according to CNN.
The endorsement would give Haley “organizational muscle and financial heft as she battles Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to be the top rival to former Trump,” said the New York Times.
Politico cited an unnamed person close to the Koch network as saying it ultimately decided on Haley after considering North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, Indian American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and DeSantis.
Haley “has what it takes to lead a policy agenda to take on our nation’s biggest challenges and help ensure our country’s best days are ahead,” the group said in a memo. “With the grassroots and data capability we bring to bear in this race, no other organization is better equipped to help her do it.”
READ: Nikki Haley emerges second to Trump in New Hampshire poll(November 15, 2023)
The network has massive resources, and it said it is prepared to deploy them to boost the former South Carolina governor and to challenge Trump’s increasingly tight grip on his party’s presidential nominating contest.
Americans for Prosperity Action has already spent millions of dollars so far bashing Trump this cycle, arguing that he would lose a general election to President Joe Biden, CNBC noted.
“I’m honored to have the support of Americans for Prosperity Action, including its millions of grassroots members all across the country,” Haley said in a statement following the announcement.
READ: Nikki Haley beats all the boys in third Republican debate (November 9, 2023)
“AFP Action’s members know that there is too much at stake in this election to sit on the sidelines. This is a choice between freedom and socialism, individual liberty and big government, fiscal responsibility and spiraling debt. We have a country to save, and I’m grateful to have AFP Action by our side,” said Haley.
In addition to an army of volunteers and staff across the country, the PAC has already raised over $70 million in the 2024 election cycle.
AFP Action’s internal polling shows Haley’s recent rise in key early states such as New Hampshire and Iowa, senior advisor Michael Palmer told reporters on a press call Tuesday. It also shows that a majority of DeSantis’ supporters have a favorable view of Haley.
The Haley announcement was a major blow to DeSantis, who received AFP Action’s endorsement during his successful reelection campaign, just a year ago.
“Governor DeSantis has been a tremendous leader for the state of Florida,” said Emily Seidel, another senior advisor to AFP Action, during the press call. Nonetheless, she said, “Nikki Haley is the strongest candidate in this race.”
READ: Former NH Sen. Judd Gregg endorses Haley presidential bid (October 25, 2023)
Earlier this year, AFP Action – a political arm of Koch’s network – pledged to back a single contender in the Republican presidential primary for the first time in its history. And it made clear that it would bypass former Trump in its quest to find what Seidel called a president “who represents a new chapter,” according to CNN.
“When we announced our decision to engage in our first ever Republican presidential primary, we made it clear that we’d be looking for a candidate who can turn the page on our political dysfunction – and win. It’s clear that candidate is Nikki Haley,” Siedel said Tuesday.
“We can’t keep looking to the politicians of the past to fix the problems of today. Nikki Haley represents a new generation of leadership and offers a bold, positive vision for our future. AFP Action is proud to be endorsing her and we will be doing everything we can to help make her the next President of the United States.”
READ: Nikki Haley beats Biden by four points in new poll (October 12, 2023)
The effort will begin with a multimillion-dollar ad campaign in support of Haley launching this week in all early and several Super Tuesday states, and the group touted its data capabilities – including a contact database with millions of voters – and its extensive grassroots reach.
Seidel did not disclose a budget on behalf of Haley, but the network has spent hundreds of millions of dollars in previous election cycles, rivaling the financial might of the Republican National Committee.
“We’re confident we are going to have the resources we need,” Seidel said when asked about the dollar amount the network was committing on Haley’s behalf. “What we bring to the table is, frankly, years of investment.”
The DeSantis campaign called the endorsement of Haley an “in-kind” contribution to Trump’s campaign, painting the former South Carolina governor as a “moderate” with no pathway to victory.
“Every dollar spent on Nikki Haley’s candidacy should be reported as an in-kind to the Trump campaign,” DeSantis spokesperson Andrew Romeo stated.