Presidential candidate Nikki Haley files to appear on her home state’s primary ballot

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — Rising in the polls, former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley was back in her home state this morning.

Greeted by supporters at the statehouse, Haley spoke to a crowd after officially putting her name on the presidential ballot in the Palmetto State.

“People saw it on the debate stage. People are seeing it increasingly in Iowa, New Hampshire and across the country,” said Sen. Tom Davis, a Republican from Beaufort. “They’re seeing the person I saw 20 years ago. That person is going to be the next president of the United States.”

Back in her home state, the Bamberg native officially filed to be on the Palmetto State’s Republican presidential primary ballot in February. 

“I will tell you South Carolina has been my family. Now we look at a country that needs saving. Our country is hurting,” Haley said. “We are 34 trillion dollars in debt. Sixty percent of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck.”

Haley says that she has held many town halls across the country hearing from voters who she says tell her similar things.

“What they tell me is how worried they are about inflation and they feel their paycheck is getting smaller and smaller. They’re worried about their retirement,” the former SC governor said. “They’re worried about the lack of transparency in the classroom. Parents want to know exactly what’s being said and taught to their children in the classroom. They’re worried about safety.”

The former UN ambassador says that keeping the nation safe is also about dealing with foreign threats. 

“A strong America doesn’t start wars. A strong America prevents wars,” Haley said. “We need to be a strong America again. We did it in South Carolina and are going to finish it at the Oval Office. I’m going to work hard to make you proud like I always have.”

“There’s so many things I can say about Nikki. Everything she goes after she accomplishes,” said Rep. Ralph Norman. “She hasn’t been beat and isn’t going to be beat.”

New polls suggest that Haley might be former president Donald Trump’s closest challenger for the party nomination. 

“We’re second in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina,” Haley said. “I got one more fella I got to catch up with and I’m determined to do it. We’ll get it done.”

Haley’s fellow South Carolinian Senator Tim Scott is also in the running for the GOP presidential nomination.