CENTENNIAL, Colo — Republican candidate Nikki Haley urged a crowd of supporters to vote in the Colorado presidential primary on Tuesday as she tries to catch up to front-runner Donald Trump to become the party's nominee this fall.
"We had 14 people in the race. I defeated a dozen of the fellas. I just got one more fella I gotta catch up to," she said in her opening remark at Wings Over the Rockies Exploration of Flight in Centennial.
She spoke for about 45 minutes at the free public event and told the crowd if elected president, she would slash spending to reduce the deficit – and work to crack down on illegal immigration.
"Let's defund sanctuary cities once and for all," she said. "No more safe havens in America. We're going to put 25,000 border patrol and ICE agents on the ground and let them do their job.
> Watch Nikki Haley's full speech below:
"We're going to go back to the 'Remain in Mexico' policy so that no one even steps foot on U.S. soil," she said. "And instead of catch and release, we're going to catch and deport. That is how we will stop what is happening on the border."
Colorado is one of 15 states holding Super Tuesday presidential primaries on Tuesday, March 5.
Haley brought up the ages of both Trump and President Joe Biden and suggested that candidates over 75 be given a mental fitness test.
"We can't play with this. These are people making decisions on our national security. These are people making decisions on the future of our national economy," Haley said. "We need to know they're at the top of their game."
Nikki Haley in Colorado
She told the crowd that she voted for Trump twice but said the "hard truth" is that he brings chaos wherever he goes. She said he can't win a general election.
"Marquette poll came out last week. In most of the polls, he's [Trump] down by five. He's down by seven. Marquette poll, he was margin of error. It'll be a nailbiter. I don't know what's going to happen," Haley said. "I'm in that same poll, and I defeat Joe Biden by 18 points!"
A former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Haley said on Saturday it's not "the end of our story" despite Donald Trump's primary victory in South Carolina, her home state where she served two terms as governor.
Haley's campaign said that she had raised $1 million "from grassroots supporters alone" in the 24 hours after the South Carolina defeat, a bump they argued "demonstrates Haley’s staying power and her appeal."
This week, Haley also has rallies planned in Utah, Virginia, North Carolina, Massachusetts and Vermont.
Colorado primary
Colorado is one of 15 states holding Super Tuesday presidential primaries on Tuesday, March 5. Voters in Colorado must return their ballots by 7 p.m. that day.
Coloradans can still register to vote, receive a ballot, and vote in person at a voting center until 7 p.m. March 5. A list of voting centers is available on each county clerk's website.
The primary election for other offices, including Colorado's eight seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, will be held later in the year. Ballots for that primary will be mailed out starting June 3 and must be returned by 7 p.m. on primary day, June 25.
The 2024 general election is Nov. 5.
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