In Nikki Haley's hometown, support is strong. But that doesn't mean she'll win

Nikki Haley is struggling to find widespread support in her home state ahead of the Republican primary on Feb. 24.

But in her hometown of Bamberg, South Carolina, they're a little more enthusiastic.

"She always found this was her home," said Paula Dyches, owner of Rusty & Paula's Restaurant, on the main drag through Bamberg.

The diner is often a hub for local activity, hosting events for politicians including Haley in the past. Today though, it's a construction zone, as the town recovers from a major tornado that tore through in January.

Dyches says the restaurant flooded and the roof blew off. But she was happy to host a few residents from the area, who gathered around a table to talk about Haley's last push before the primary.

Sharon Carter, who invited the group, is chairwoman of the Bamberg County Republican Party. As such, she can't officially endorse any candidate in the state's primary on Saturday.

But she has some thoughts about this weekend's matchup between the former President and South Carolina's former governor:

"It is astonishing to me that people are choosing Trump in her hometown," Carter said. "Because people who do know her know that she's an authentically real person."

Jerome Boyce, who lives in the nearby town of Denmark, is among those local residents backing Trump.

"Trump has got it. Trump has a track record. Nikki Haley does not," Boyce said, sitting across the table from Carter.

Boyce says Haley - who's also a former ambassador to the United Nations - was a good governor for South Carolina during the six years she led the state.

But Boyce opposed her work to remove the Confederate flag from the grounds of the South Carolina statehouse in 2015, in the aftermath of the racist shooting that left