The influential network affiliated with billionaire Charles Koch has announced its intention to channel both financial support and influence toward former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley in the Republican presidential primary. This decision, revealed on Tuesday, has the potential to significantly reshape the Republican landscape, occurring approximately seven weeks before the Iowa caucuses.
Americans for Prosperity Action, armed with substantial resources and a substantial conservative activist base, is set to champion the former South Carolina governor.
This endorsement serves as another indication that influential Republican donors are uniting behind the former US ambassador to the United Nations. Notably, prominent figures have joined her campaign in recent weeks, especially following the exit of South Carolina Senator Tim Scott from the race.
Earlier this year, AFP Action, the political arm of Koch’s network, made an unprecedented commitment to support a single candidate in the GOP presidential primary. This decision comes as part of their quest, explicitly outlined by Emily Seidel, a top AFP official, to identify a president “who represents a new chapter,” signaling a departure from former President Donald Trump.
“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. It’s clear that candidate is Nikki Haley,” Siedel said Tuesday.
“We can’t keep looking to the politicians of the past to fix the problems of today. Nikki Haley represents a new generation of leadership and offers a bold, positive vision for our future. AFP Action is proud to be endorsing her and we will be doing everything we can to help make her the next President of the United States.”
Commencing this week, the initiative will kick off with a multimillion-dollar ad campaign endorsing Haley in all early and several Super Tuesday states. The group highlights its robust data capabilities, boasting a contact database encompassing millions of voters, coupled with an expansive grassroots reach.
While Seidel did not disclose the budget allocated for Haley, it’s worth noting that the network has historically invested hundreds of millions of dollars in election cycles, rivaling the financial strength of the Republican National Committee.
Despite the former president’s clear lead in national and early state polling within the Republican primary, Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis vie to position themselves as the primary alternative to Trump.
Seidel emphasized the Koch groups’ substantial grassroots efforts, citing their accomplishment of knocking on over seven million doors and delivering more than 100 million pieces of mail during the 2022 midterms alone.
Responding to the endorsement of Haley, the DeSantis campaign characterized it as an “in-kind” contribution to Trump’s campaign, portraying the former South Carolina governor as a “moderate” lacking a viable path to victory.
The network has already invested millions of dollars in advertising in early-voting states this year, framing Trump as likely to lose the general election. One particular ad, titled “Unelectable,” depicts Trump as a serial loser, raising concerns about potential losses for Republicans in Congress if he becomes the GOP nominee.
In response to the Koch endorsement, both Trump’s campaign and an associated super PAC swiftly criticized the move.
Beyond sowing doubt about Trump among GOP supporters, network officials have outlined a broader 2024 strategy. This strategy aims to engage a more diverse range of voters, especially those who consistently participate in general elections but not in Republican primaries, with the goal of influencing the outcomes of early contests.
Throughout Trump’s tenure in the White House, there were often clashes between him and Koch officials, who openly criticized certain administration policies.
Despite these differences, the network supported key Trump priorities, including a tax cut bill signed into law in late 2017 and a criminal justice overhaul. Additionally, the network endorsed Trump’s nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court.
