Is Nikki Haley running for president in 2028?
Nikki Haley has not announced a 2028 presidential campaign, but as the runner-up for the 2024 Republican nomination she is tracked as a possible candidate. The former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador polls in the low single digits in early 2028 GOP primary surveys, which JD Vance leads.
Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, is a possible 2028 Republican presidential candidate. She was the runner-up for the 2024 Republican nomination - the last major rival standing against Donald Trump in that primary - which keeps her on every serious list of potential 2028 contenders.
Haley has not made a formal announcement, FEC filing, or dated public statement of 2028 intent as of mid-2026. Her tracking as a possible candidate rests on her 2024 runner-up standing and her continued national profile rather than on any specific recent signal.
She registers in the low single digits in early 2028 Republican primary surveys - 4.6 percent in the Emerson College poll of May 24-25, 2026, 4 percent in the Overton Insights poll of May 16-20, 2026, and 2 percent in the I&I/TIPP poll of May 26-28, 2026. Vice President JD Vance leads every mid-2026 Republican primary survey.
Haley is constitutionally eligible. She is a natural-born U.S. citizen, is 54 years old as of mid-2026 - well above the constitutional minimum of 35 - and meets the 14-year U.S. residency requirement. Her 2024 campaign built a national donor and volunteer network that could be reactivated for 2028; whether she chooses to run against a field led by a sitting vice president is the open question.
Related: Nikki Haley - full candidate profile | The 2028 Republican field | 2028 Republican primary polls
Related questions
Has Nikki Haley said she is running for president in 2028?
Did Nikki Haley run for president before?
Is Nikki Haley eligible to run for president in 2028?
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Related explainers
To be eligible, a person must be a natural-born U.S. citizen, at least 35 years old, and have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years.
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