Nikki Haley sits in the muddy middle of the GOP polling zone

Nikki Haley in Las Vegas in November 2021. (Bridget Bennett/Bloomberg News)

It’s almost official: Donald Trump is no longer running unopposed in the 2024 GOP presidential primary. Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador, is reportedly planning to announce her run on Feb. 15.

Sixty percent of Republicans view Haley favorably, 14 percent view her unfavorably and 25 percent aren’t sure. That puts her in a better position than Mike Pence — who, amazingly, is disliked by more than a third of GOP voters despite serving as their vice president for four years.

But Haley’s numbers aren’t great. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri register only single-digit unfavorable ratings among GOP voters. And Trump — who equals Haley’s 14 percent unfavorable rating — boasts a significantly higher 73 percent favorable rating.

Haley isn’t as well-known or as

well-liked as other Republicans

GOP voters with a clear

opinion of the politician

100%

DeSantis

Trump

Pence

80

Haley

Abbott

Cotton

60

Hawley

40

20

0

10

20

30

40%

GOP voters who

view them unfavorably

GOP voters with a “clear opinion” of a

politician were able to rate them favorably

or unfavorably (and not “unsure” or

“don’t know”).

Source: Civiqs

DAVID BYLER/THE WASHINGTON POST

Haley isn’t as well-known or as well-liked

as other Republicans

GOP voters with a clear

opinion of the politician

100%

DeSantis

Trump

80

Pence

Haley

Abbott

Cotton

60

Hawley

40

20

0

10

20

30

40%

GOP voters who view

them unfavorably

GOP voters with a “clear opinion” of a politician were

able to rate them favorably or unfavorably (and not

“unsure” or “don’t know”).

Source: Civiqs

DAVID BYLER/THE WASHINGTON POST

Haley isn’t as well-known or as well-liked as other Republicans

100%

GOP voters

with a clear

opinion of

the politician

DeSantis

Trump

80

Haley

Abbott

Pence

Cotton

60

Hawley

20

0

10

20

30

40%

GOP voters who view them unfavorably

GOP voters with a “clear opinion” of a politician were able to rate them favorably or

unfavorably (and not “unsure” or “don’t know”).

Source: Civiqs

DAVID BYLER/THE WASHINGTON POST

Haley has plenty of time to improve her position. In theory, she could be a compromise candidate: a former Trump official (U.N. ambassador) and ideological conservative who won’t make moderates run away screaming.

But her path is littered with obstacles. Consensus candidates often try to please everyone and fail to build a reliable base. (Recall Florida Sen. Marco Rubio’s 2016 candidacy, which Haley backed.)

And, as Ed Kilgore of New York magazine pointed out, Haley’s tenure as South Carolina governor might be a hidden disadvantage. She’ll get no credit if she wins the state’s early primary, but her campaign will be pronounced dead if she loses.