Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley received support from a second senator Friday in her longshot bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
Sen. Susan Collins, Maine Republican, cast her early-voting ballot for Ms. Haley in that state’s presidential primary, scheduled for Tuesday. The move marked her as just the second GOP senator to back the former U.N. ambassador’s campaign against ex-President Donald Trump.
“She has the energy, intellect and temperament that we need to lead our country in these very tumultuous times,” Ms. Collins told the Bangor Daily News.
Ms. Collins’ endorsement comes ahead of Super Tuesday, where voters in 15 states will vote for their favored presidential nominee in Republican and Democratic primaries.
Ms. Haley has not won a primary or caucus against Mr. Trump, whose latest victory came in South Carolina last weekend.
The first senator to endorse Ms. Haley was Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Republican, who argued that voters need someone with the “right values, vigor and judgment to serve as our next president — and in this race, there is no one better than her.”
Both lawmakers were also among the seven Republican senators who voted to convict Mr. Trump during his last impeachment trial.
Other than the two senators, one GOP congressman is in Haley’s camp: Ralph Norman of South Carolina.
• Alex Miller can be reached at amiller@washingtontimes.com.
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