Republican voters in Washington D.C. will be the next to decide on whom the party wants at the top of this year’s presidential ticket, with the nation’s capital presenting former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley her best chace at a primary victory yet.
Washington D.C.’s primary will take place over three days this weekend, with polls opening on Friday and not closing until Sunday evening. The City’s 19 delegates will be up for grabs in the contest, with all 19 being awarded to the candidate who secures over 50% of the vote or being awarded proportionally if no candidate crosses the 50% threshold. Candidates with less than 15% of the vote will be ineligible to receive delegates.
The nation’s capital, which is one of the most heavily Democratic cities in the entire country, represents a challenge for former President Donald Trump in his bid to remain undefeated in the GOP primary.
TRUMP WINS THE MICHIGAN GOP PRIMARY, BRINGING HIM ONE STEP CLOSER TO SECURING REPUBLICAN NOMINATION
Nikki Haley and former President Trump side by side. (Getty Images/ AP)
The former president won the district in 2020 in an uncontested race, according to the Associated Press, but came in a distant third behind Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and former Ohio Gov. John Kasich during the 2016 primary.
Reached for comment by Fox News Digital, the Trump campaign downplayed the importance of the upcoming primary contests.
“Republican voters have delivered resounding wins for President Trump in every single primary contest and this race is over,” a spokesperson for the campaign said. “Our focus is now on Joe Biden and the general election.”
Trump has so far steamrolled his way to obvious frontrunner status in the primary season, coming out on top in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, the Virgin Islands, South Carolina and Michigan. Haley, meanwhile, remains the only contender in the GOP field to challenge the former president, vowing to stay in the race despite the recent loss in her home state of South Carolina.
Former President Donald Trump speaks at a microphone. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
MICHIGAN PRIMARY PUTS MAJOR BATTLEGROUND STATE IN PLAY FOR 2024
The nation’s capital holds one of the more unique primaries on the calendar, with voting opening Friday morning and not closing until Sunday at 7 p.m. Early voting and absentee voting are not allowed, while results are not released live and instead announced by the district’s party officials roughly an hour after the polls close, according to the Associated Press.
The primary comes just days before Super Tuesday, when 15 states will hold GOP contests and put 865 delegates up for grabs.
Nikki Haley, former governor of South Carolina and 2024 Republican presidential candidate, during an election night watch party in Charleston, South Carolina. (Christian Monterrosa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Trump currently holds a commanding lead in the GOP primary, while President Biden holds an equally strong grip on the Democratic side, making it all but assured the two candidates square off for a rematch of the 2020 campaign.
