Could Nikki Haley switch to a third-party candidate?

Struggling 2024 Republican candidate Nikki Haley has so far seen only one primary victory so far — and she may have found a solution to avoid future primary losses: running as a third-party candidate.

The former UN ambassador is the last-standing GOP rival against prominent frontrunner Donald Trump, who has swept every one of his party’s caucus or primary so far — excluding Washington, DC, which was Ms Haley’s first 2024 victory.

With each primary loss propelling her farther from becoming her party’s nominee, speculation has grown around whetherMs Haley would be open to a third-party bid.

The political organisation No Labels has indicated that it would consider putting Ms Haley as a candidate for its third-party ticket, assuming she was interested. The group’s national director Joe Cunningham told Fox News last month that the former South Carolina governor is “somebody we’d definitely be interested in.”

“We’re looking for great quality people, folks that have broad appeal to independents, Democrats, Republicans,” he said.

However, Ms Haley has previously dismissed the idea of running as a third-party candidate, emphasising her firm place in the Republican party. “All the talk about the independent No Labels, all that — I haven’t talked to anybody about that,” Ms Haley said over the weekend. “I know that they have sent smoke signals, but I’m a Republican.”

“I’m trying to really talk about a way forward for Republicans,” she added.

The former South Carolina governor continued, “If I were to do No Labels, that would require a Democrat vice president.”

A run as a third-party candidate could be an interesting move as more and more Americans seem exhausted by the prospect of another Joe Biden-Donald Trump rematch.

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