Haley’s dropout makes 2024 one of the shortest primary seasons

CNN —

Nikki Haley suspended her campaign Wednesday morning, leaving former President Donald Trump as the presumptive GOP nominee. Haley’s exit, 51 days after the Iowa caucuses, makes 2024 one of the fastest-narrowing primary fields in recent history.

In 2008, Senator John McCain secured the delegates for the Republican nomination on March 4, 61 days after the Iowa caucuses and about a month after that year’s Super Tuesday. That year, states held primary contests early in an effort to increase their electoral power: 22 states held their races on Super Tuesday, which was on February 5 that year.

No other competitive primary fields since 2004 narrowed to a final candidate within 100 days of the Iowa caucuses. In some instances, losing candidates have remained in the race even after the eventual nominee secured the required delegates.

While Trump has yet to officially secure the GOP nomination, he is closing in on the necessary 1,215 delegates, with 1,040 as of Tuesday at 9 a.m. ET. So far, he has won more than 90% of the delegates up for grabs since Iowa.