Americans for Prosperity Action, the political arm of the influential and deep-pocketed fiscally conservative network founded by the billionaire Koch Brothers, has endorsed Nikki Haley for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.
The nonprofit, which has committed to spend tens of millions of dollars to help the Republican Party get past former President Trump, made the news in a memo Tuesday morning.
“AFP Action is proud to be throwing the full weight and scope of its grassroots operation behind Nikki Haley to help her become the next President of the United States,” the organization stated. This effort will begin this week with a multimillion-dollar ad campaign calling on Americans to unify behind Haley’s optimistic vision to turn the page on today’s dysfunctional politics and move our country forward, which will start in all early and several Super Tuesday states.”
Haley, a former two-term South Carolina governor who later served as Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, started her GOP presidential campaign in 2024 in February. She’s gained ground in the polls in recent months, thanks in part to strong showings in the first three GOP presidential primary debates.
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Haley has surpassed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for second position in both New Hampshire, which has the first primary and votes second in the Republican nomination process, and her home state, which holds the first southern contest. And she’s tied with DeSantis in some of the most recent surveys in Iowa, where the GOP nominating season kicks out on Jan. 15.
However, Haley and DeSantis remain far behind Trump, who maintains a commanding lead over the rest of the field as the former president begins his third consecutive run for the White House.
The AFP Action support should benefit Haley, whose campaign lacks the grassroots outreach and organizational muscle that DeSantis has, owing to a significant contribution from the DeSantis-aligned super PAC Never Back Down.
AFP Action’s endorsement will most likely provide Haley with the group’s robust direct-mail and field operations, as well as a massive ad blitz in early voting states. During the 2022 midterm election cycle, the organization knocked on around 5.5 million doors, made 2 million phone calls, and distributed nearly 70 million pieces of mail on behalf of candidates.
AFP Action senior adviser Emily Seidel, who describes her organization as “a true grassroots organization,” emphasized that “when we announced our decision to engage in our first ever Republican presidential primary, we made it clear that we’d be looking for a candidate who can turn the page on our political dysfunction — and win.” That candidate is unmistakably Nikki Haley.”
Seidel made it clear that “we will be doing everything we can to help make her the next President of the United States.”
In response to the support, Haley stated that the group’s “members understand that there is too much at stake in this election to sit on the sidelines.” This is a decision between liberty and socialism, between individual liberty and big government, between economic discipline and financial insolvency. We have a country to save, and I’m glad for AFP Action’s assistance.”
