- As we enter the 2024 election year, Nikki Haley’s GOP nomination odds have improved markedly at online betting sites.
- According to the latest GOP nomination odds, Haley has the second-best odds to win the Republican Party presidential primaries.
- With Ron DeSantis’ GOP odds cratering, the former Governor of South Carolina stands the best chance of upsetting Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
Nikki Haley is not the top choice to win the 2024 GOP nomination at online betting sites, but she is quickly gaining ground on Donald Trump. Per odds from BetOnline, Haley has +400 odds to be the Republican nominee for the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election.
Last January, Haley had +1200 odds of winning the Republican presidential primaries in 2024. Haley’s probability of winning has catapulted from 7.7 percent to 20 percent in one year. It was a bumpy road for Haley over the last year, however.
This past November, Haley’s odds regressed to +2800, an implied probability of just 3.4 percent to win the Republican primaries. Even Tim Scott, who has since withdrawn from the race, had better odds than Haley in November 2023. Consequently, Haley’s odds to win the GOP nomination recovered impressively over the last month.
GOP Race Down To Three Candidates
Political pundits have already written off Republican candidates Vivek Ramaswamy and Chris Christie. The 2024 Republican Party nomination odds most certainly agree. Currently, Trump, Haley, and Ron DeSantis are the only viable candidates that have a chance.
At +1600, DeSantis has the longest odds of the three. Following DeSantis, Ramaswamy is well out of the picture with +4000 odds. Many political experts would argue that DeSantis has already botched his opportunity and that there are only two true contenders.
Haley’s odds of +400 are well ahead of DeSantis. Following Trump’s loss in 2020, the Florida Gov. was viewed as a serious threat to Trump’s plan to run a second time. However, DeSantis is fizzling out, while Haley is showing momentum.
In November, Florida Atlantic University reported that DeSantis’ support in Florida was wavering. According to a poll conducted by FAU, DeSantis’ approval rating as governor dropped four percentage points from July to November.
The majority of Florida residents approved of DeSantis in July, but the results were split in the November poll. His support among Independent voters has significantly waned, with 60 percent disapproving of DeSantis.
DeSantis’ dropping popularity has allowed Haley to seize control and firmly enter the fray for the GOP nomination. As of Wednesday, January 3, at +600, Haley has the third-best odds to win the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election.
Recent Mishaps Don’t Hurt Haley’s GOP Nomination Odds
Haley didn’t have a stellar week to end the year. She seemed flustered and confused regarding a question about the United States Civil War. During a New Hampshire town hall, Haley was simply asked, “What caused the Civil War?”
After a pause, Haley quipped, “Well, don’t come at me with an easy answer.”
Following a moment of brief thought, Haley stated:
“I mean, I think the cause of the Civil War was basically how government was going to run, what you could and couldn’t do, the freedoms of what people could and couldn’t do.”
The man who asked the question to Haley wasn’t impressed with her answer. He had serious concerns that Haley was unable to conclude slavery was a significant driving force behind the start of the Civil War.
“In the year 2023, it’s astonishing to me that you answer that question without mentioning the word ‘slavery’.”
The following day, Haley walked her comments back and emphasized that the Civil War was about slavery. This wasn’t the only gaffe for Haley to end the year in 2023.
Ahead of an Iowa women’s basketball game, which she attended, Haley spoke at a local restaurant in Coralville, Iowa. In referencing Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark, the 51-year-old native of South Carolina confused her with Caitlin Collins, a CNN journalist.
Nevertheless, Haley’s mishaps did nothing to impact her GOP nomination odds. She remained +400 to be the next Republican nominee. With big backers behind Haley, including the Koch Brothers, it’s unlikely that she is going away in the Republican primaries.
Despite Haley’s recent momentum in the betting markets, Trump is still in control, according to BetOnline. Currently, Trump is a large favorite at -700 to win the GOP nomination.
