A group of wealthy healthcare business leaders are forming a new super political action committee aimed to help shore up independent support for former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley in the key early primary state of New Hampshire, according to a memo obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Billionaire New Hampshire resident and CEO of the Bruker Corporation Frank Laukien, his wife, Tamra, Zus Health CEO Jonathan Bush and PinkDx CEO Bonnie Anderson, as well as Nixon Peabody partner Robert Fisher, are launching “Independents Moving the Needle,” according to the memo. The group, through the “Independents for Nikki” initiative, is arguing that former President Donald Trump should not be the presumptive Republican nominee and believes Haley is the GOP’s best chance at beating him in 2024.
“We all believe that Nikki Haley is an outstanding leader. She has by far the best electability of any Republican presidential candidate in 2024,” the memo reads. “We are convinced that our efforts will not be futile, as some may fear, and that Donald Trump does not inevitably have to be the Republican candidate – not at all.”
The effort is significant in the first-in-the-nation primary state, as New Hampshire allows for independents to cast a ballot for either major political party.
Nikki Haley has received the Koch brothers’ network’s endorsement for president, signaling support from the GOP establishment. Trump and DeSantis’s campaigns have reacted acerbically. Click on the image below to read my @DailyCaller NF story about it. https://t.co/BvcrtNeVhU
— Arjun Singh (@arjunswritings) November 28, 2023
Haley has seen a bump in the polls in New Hampshire and is averaging in second behind only Trump at roughly 19% support, according to FiveThirtyEight’s survey compilation.
Laukien is an independent voter who has backed a variety of candidates in the past, and has given support to South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, conservative businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and centrist organization No Labels this cycle, according to WMUR 9, who first reported the memo. Bush, cousin to former President George W. Bush, voted for President Joe Biden in 2020 and libertarian Gary Johnson in 2016, and he held a fundraiser for Haley in early November.
The group described Haley as being a “forward-thinking, next-generation leader” who they view as having the best policies on reducing inflation, supporting allies abroad, individual and educational freedom, immigration and limited federal government, according to the memo.
“We believe Nikki can out-perform and gain further momentum in New Hampshire,” the memo reads. “We look forward to assisting Nikki later in South Carolina, and in selected Super Tuesday states with open primaries thereafter.”
The super PAC’s formation comes after Haley has recently drawn the attention from Wall Street executives, including JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, BlackRock CEO Lary Fink and more. Americans for Prosperity Action, tied with the Koch network, threw its support behind Haley for president on Tuesday.
Mary Lou Masters on November 29, 2023
