Former President Donald Trump is leading former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley by 23 points in her home state before the state's primary on Saturday, according to a poll released Tuesday.
The Emerson College/The Hill survey found that 58% of likely Republican primary voters in South Carolina support Trump and 35% support Haley; 7% were undecided.
When undecided voters were pressed to choose a candidate, 61% picked Trump and 39% chose Haley.
South Carolina's primaries are considered open as the state does not have party registration.
"There is a divide among Republican and independent affiliated voters," Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, told The Hill. "Voters who affiliate as Republicans break for Trump over Haley, 71% [to] 29%, while voters who affiliate as Independent break for Nikki Haley 54% to 46%."
According to the poll, Trump held an advantage over Haley with voters whose top issues are the economy, immigration, and crime. Haley led Trump with voters who are concerned about threats to democracy, education, and abortion access.
Other polls also show Trump with a commanding lead over Haley in her home state; a Winthrop University survey from last week found the former president with a 36-point lead.
Despite the deficit in the polls and her devastating Nevada primary loss this month, Haley has vowed to continue her campaign.
"I don't think he should be president," Haley told ABC News on Sunday. "The last thing on my mind is who I'm going to support. The only thing on my mind is how we're going to win this."
The Emerson College/The Hill poll was conducted Feb. 14-16 and surveyed 1,000 registered voters. The margin of error is 3 percentage points.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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