Nikki Halley raises $12 million in February, bags first Senate endorsement, but rules out third-party run

Indian-American Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley raises $12 million, rules out third-party run, and gains senatorial endorsement.

Indian-American Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has bagged her first senatorial endorsement as her campaign announced that it has raised a whopping $12 million in February.

Yet to win a single primary so far, Ms. Haley on Friday ruled out a third-party run asserting that she is a Republican to the core.

Fighting a losing Republican primary battle against her former boss and former president Donald Trump, the Indian-American is trailing behind by a massive 64 points against her main rival in the Super Tuesday States.

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Ms. Haley, 52, who has gone ballistic against Mr. Trump, 77, ahead of the Super Tuesday primary, however, ruled out a third-party run if she is defeated in the party's electoral battle.

"All the talk about the independent No Labels, all that — I haven't talked to anybody about that. I know that they have sent smoke signals, but I'm a Republican," she told reporters at a media round table in Washington.

The Indian-American was in Washington DC to address Republican supporters in the national capital where she hammed Mr. Trump for his policies and told her party colleagues that the country could no longer afford to have another four years of chaos.