GOP candidate Nikki Haley sees dozens of endorsements after debates

(NewsNation) — In the race to be the Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential race, one candidate, Nikki Haley, is moving closer to the top of the polls.

Haley, a former United Nations ambassador and governor of South Carolina from 2011-2017, also recently announced dozens of new endorsements, thanks in part to her performance in recent GOP debates.

The 72 Iowans endorsing Haley, according to The Des Moines Register, include Christine Hensley, who was the longest-serving member of the Des Moines City Council, State Reps. Jane Bloomingdale and Brian Lohseand and David Oman, who served as chief of staff for former governors Robert Ray and Terry Branstad. Multiple prominent business leaders in Iowa endorsed Haley as well, the news outlet reports.

Further bolstering Haley is a new Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll, where she’s tied for second place with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 16%. The poll does include South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who recently dropped out of the race, so the numbers could possibly change, tipping the scales for either DeSantis or Haley.

In the same Des Moines Register poll, Trump still leads, with 43% of likely Republican caucusgoers saying he’s their first choice for president.

To distinguish herself, Haley has leaned heavily on her foreign policy experience, and her campaign announced a $10 million deal just this week for advertising across Iowa and New Hampshire.

However, the question remains — will that be enough to take on former President Donald Trump, who remains the frontrunner in Iowa and the United States as a whole?

The Associated Press contributed to this report.