Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s New Hampshire State director, Mak Kehoe, has parted ways with her 2024 presidential campaign. A campaign spokesperson confirmed to CNN that Kehoe “is no longer with the campaign for personal reasons.”
Deputy State Director Tyler Clark has assumed the role.
The departure comes ahead of next month’s Republican primary in the Granite State, which may be pivotal for Haley’s chances of challenging former President Donald Trump, the current front-runner for the GOP nomination. Despite Trump’s strong lead over the rest of the primary field, Haley has experienced a recent ascendance, threatening Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as the main Trump alternative.
She won the backing last week of Americans for Prosperity Action, the network associated with billionaire Charles Koch, which could boost her candidacy with vast spending and grassroots resources.
Haley moved ahead of Trump’s other rivals in the Granite State in a CNN poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire last month. While 42% of likely primary voters said they would vote for Trump, 20% said they’ve vote for Haley – followed by former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at 14%, DeSantis at 9%, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy at 8%.
Those four candidates are set to meet on stage in Alabama on Wednesday night for the fourth Republican presidential debate, which Trump is skipping, as he has the earlier debates.
