As the presidential race moves on to South Carolina, so too does Donald Trump’s march to the Republican nomination.
The former president won 54% of the vote Tuesday in the New Hampshire primary. Following the convincing 11 percentage point win, even Republicans who had supported Trump’s GOP rivals, such as Georgia U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick, are lining up behind the front-runner, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“I am calling on my fellow conservatives to join me in uniting behind Donald Trump for president,” said McCormick, the Suwanee Republican who previously endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ challenge to Trump. DeSantis withdrew from the race following the nation’s first nominating contest in Iowa.
Trump’s last rival standing, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, vowed to continue her campaign through the Feb. 24 vote in her home state. But it will be Trump who enters with a major edge.
Trump has dominated South Carolina’s elections over the past two presidential cycles. Polls show him capturing nearly two-thirds of GOP support over Haley, who was twice elected the state’s governor before Trump tapped her in 2017 to join his presidential administration.
Over the next month, she’ll have to convince wary donors, activists and voters to stay on her side. McCormick’s backing of Trump — who supported McCormick’s opponent in the 2022 primary — reflects the uphill battle Haley will face.