Nikki Haley beats Donald Trump in Washington DC

Washington: Indian-American presidential candidate Nikki Haley has won her first Republican nominating contest by trumping rival Donald Trump in Washington DC, injecting new life into her 2024 campaign ahead of the crucial Super Tuesday contest.

With her win, Haley scripted history by becoming the first woman ever to win a Republican presidential primary. She is also the first Indian-American to have won either the Democratic or the Republican primaries.

The three other previous Indian American presidential aspirants Bobby Jindal in 2016, Kamala

Harris in 2020 and Vivek Ramaswamy in 2024 had failed to win even one primary.

Haley, 51, received 1,274 votes (62.9 per cent) against 676 votes (33.2 per cent) received by her main rival and former President Trump.

Haley will receive all 19 Republican delegates who were up for grabs in Washington DC, giving her 43 delegates nationwide - well behind Trump’s 247.

The contest took place over the weekend in a downtown hotel just steps away from the heart of DC’s lobbying hub.

“Let’s do it. Thank you, DC! We fight for every inch,” Haley posted on X soon after her victory.