Multiple accusations of extra-marital affairs be damned — South Carolina Republicans still think Nikki Haley is their best choice to keep the governor’s mansion in the Palmetto State. That’s the conclusion from a new PPP (D) poll released over the weekend showing Haley with a commanding 20 point lead in the GOP gubernatorial primary.
The poll shows Haley drawing 43% of the vote in the four-way field. The next most popular Republican, Rep. Gresham Barrett, drew 23% of the vote. The poll, taken Saturday and Sunday among 998 likely primary voters, comes amidst multiple accusations of infidelity from men who claimed to have extra-marital affairs with Haley.
The poll suggests South Carolina Republicans are unmoved by the allegations, and have decided to take Haley at he word that nothing happened with either of the men who have claimed inappropriate relationships with her.
Heading into tomorrow’s primary, the TPM Poll Average for the full GOP field shows Haley with 31.1% of the vote, state Attorney General Henry McMaster with 17.6%, Barrett with 16.8% and Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer with 14.9%.
The polls suggest that while Haley is weathering the storm over her personal life, she still has a ways to go before she wins the nomination. If Haley doesn’t win 50% of the vote tomorrow, she’ll be forced into a June 22 runoff with the second-place finisher.
