A one-on-one debate between Haley and DeSantis could help decide the Republican alternative to Trump

WAUKEE, Iowa (AP) — After spending much of the Republican presidential primary flanked by lower-polling rivals, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis will be alone on the debate stage Wednesday for the first time as they wage an increasingly contentious push to become the primary alternative to Donald Trump.

The stakes are high for both Haley, the former U.N. ambassador, and DeSantis, the Florida governor. They hope that a strong debate performance in Iowa will lift their campaigns in the final days before Monday’s caucuses, where a strong showing could provide much-needed momentum as the campaign for the GOP presidential nomination intensifies.

The moment is especially important for Haley, a politician long known for her disciplined approach to messaging. That reputation has been tested recently after a series of gaffes, including her failure to mention slavery as the root cause of the Civil War and a quip that New Hampshire voters will have a chance to “correct” the results that emerge from Iowa.

For all the attention on Haley and DeSantis, the commanding front-runner in the race will again be absent. Trump, who is aiming to quickly close in on securing his third consecutive GOP nomination, will skip the debate hosted by CNN and instead appear on Fox News.

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«Other news» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-show-loadmore=«true» data-gtm-modulestyle=«List B»> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Other news </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> Chris Christie questions Nikki Haley’s ability and desire to beat Donald Trump </bsp-custom-headline> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> New Hampshire attorney general suggests