Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley caught some grief earlier this month for declaring the GOP primary a two-person race after the Iowa caucuses. Turns out, she was proven right after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis bowed out of the 2024 presidential race on Sunday.
The news caught some by surprise, but the evidence was hiding in plain sight. DeSantis had bounced back and forth between events in New Hampshire and South Carolina, hardly the sign of a candidate with confidence or a plan. His Sunday show appearances were canceled. Questions about his financial viability were swirling, a situation sure to be exacerbated by the single digit finish he was trending toward in the Granite State. DeSantis was at six percent in the Real Clear Politics average, far behind both Trump (47%) or Haley (33%).
After New Hampshire, the South Carolina primary was not until February 24 – an eternity for a campaign in its death rattle and whose political obituaries had been written in searing levels of detail.
Eight years ago, there were eight serious candidates competing in New Hampshire. With his committed core of voters and high floor of support, Trump has always reaped the rewards of a fractured field.
Now there are just two. Trump remains the frontrunner, but as we’ve seen before, the unexpected can happen when the voters have their say.
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Colin Reed is a Republican strategist, former campaign manager for Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown and co-founder of South and Hill Strategies.
