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OREM — Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley will visit Utah next week, ahead of the state's GOP presidential preference poll during caucus meetings on Super Tuesday.
Haley plans to hold a rally at the Noorda Center for the Performing Arts on Utah Valley University's campus in Orem on the morning of Feb. 28. Haley's campaign did not release any additional details, but Justin Jones, the executive director of the Gary R. Herbert Institute on Public Policy, announced at a forum Tuesday that doors will open at 11:30 a.m. and the rally will start at 12:30 p.m.
The former governor of South Carolina and former ambassador to the United Nations is the last major remaining Republican challenger to former President Donald Trump, who holds the majority of delegates following wins in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada.
Although Haley trails the former president in major primary polls, she said she will stay in the race during a Tuesday speech in Greenville, South Carolina.
"Some of you — perhaps a few of you in the media — came here today to see if I'm dropping out of the race," Haley said. "Well, I'm not. Far from it. And I'm here to tell you why. I'm running for president because we have a country to save. Since the start of my campaign, I've been focused on the real issues our country faces. The ones that determine whether America will thrive, or spiral out."
"These are the challenges I'm here to tackle," she said, referencing chaos at the southern border, the cost of groceries and "American weakness" she said has led to wars in Europe and the Middle East.
Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson and First Lady Abby Cox endorsed Haley last month, in part due to her related strong polling compared to President Joe Biden, the leading Democratic candidate.
"We've been looking forward to Nikki Haley's visit to Utah," Henderson told KSL.com in a statement Tuesday. "I am excited to welcome her next week."
Haley's visit to Utah is part of an aggressive week of campaigning, which also includes visits to Michigan, Minnesota, Colorado, Virginia, North Carolina and Massachusetts.