Nikki Haley Declines 2028 Presidential Run

Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley has announced she will not participate in the 2028 presidential election.

During an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Haley responded to a question about running by stating simply, “I will not.”

Haley, who previously held the position of U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations under President Donald Trump, had her own run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination before pausing her campaign and endorsing Trump.

When asked if Vice President JD Vance should be the Republican nominee for 2028, she avoided giving a direct answer.

“I think it’s too soon to tell. I think that primaries are healthy,” Haley noted. “A year is a lifetime in politics. We will be having a different conversation a year from now. I have no idea who’s going to be in that [race].”

Vance is often seen as a strong candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio, however, has indicated that he would not enter the race if Vance decides to seek the nomination, putting the decision squarely in the vice president’s hands.

“If JD Vance runs for president, he’s going to be our nominee, and I’ll be one of the first people to support him,” Rubio mentioned in a Vanity Fair interview from December.

Vance gained significant recognition as a potential candidate at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), where he garnered 53% of the vote in a straw poll that included nearly 1,600 attendees.

The current president has refrained from endorsing a potential successor, but he remarked that he sees a “good bench” of Republican candidates. Trump added that the party has “some very talented people.”

On the Democratic side, potential candidates are emerging as well. Former Vice President Kamala Harris has expressed that she “might” consider entering the 2028 race.

Other Democratic hopefuls include Governor Gavin Newsom of California, Governor Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Governor Wes Moore of Maryland, and Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona.