NORFOLK, Va. — A coalition of national conservative leaders is urging former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley to drop her bid to be the Republican presidential nominee.
The group, led by former Republican Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore, sent Haley a letter with that message. It states, "We applaud your efforts, but your candidacy is over."
Speaking to 13News Now, Gilmore said it's time for the party to unite behind Donald Trump.
"The Republican voters in the primaries across the country have spoken. They've made up their minds. They are overwhelmingly picking Donald Trump, so from our point of view, what are we to do? The answer is, we have to unify the party and we have to support our candidate against the big picture."
So far, a series of landslide defeats for Haley in the primaries is not deterring her candidacy. In Tuesday's Michigan primary, Trump drew a more than 30 percent victory over Haley. Still, a Haley spokesperson vows Haley will stay in the race at least through Super Tuesday, March 5. Virginians head to the polls that day.
Two Virginia rallies are listed on Haley's campaign website, one in Richmond and one in Northern Virginia.
Gilmore said he supports Trump despite the former president's 91-count criminal indictments. Gilmore claims it is politically motivated.
In a news release earlier this month, Gilmore urged President Biden to "step up his leadership to the American public, and advocate for American support for Ukraine's defense." He also called Russia a threat to the United States, contradicting recent assertions by Trump that Russia can do "whatever they want" to NATO countries that don't meet defense spending targets.
Trump has yet to indicate if he's on Ukraine's side in the war with Russia. Gilmore dismisses the concern over Trump's views on Russia by saying what the former president claims now won't reflect what he does in office.
Signers of the letter to Haley include former U.S. Attorney General Ed Meese, Conservative Action Project Chair Kenneth Blackwell, Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund Chair Jenny Beth Martin, and Presidential Historian Reagan Biographer Craig Shirley.
13News Now reached out to the Haley campaign and has not heard back.