Haley Campaign Press Release - 538/Washington Post/Ipsos Poll: Nikki Haley Wins the Debate

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The third Republican presidential debate is in the books and the results are in: Nikki Haley won. According to the just released 538/Washington Post/Ipsos poll, a plurality of voters said Haley performed best, and a plurality of voters said Vivek Ramaswamy performed worst. In addition, Haley's share of voters considering her jumped eight points, while DeSantis was stagnant. Read the full piece below or here.

Our Republican debate poll finds Nikki Haley won
By: Scott Clement, Emily Guskin and Clara Ence Morse

In the third Republican primary debate there was a clear winner: former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley.

A 538/Washington Post/Ipsos poll of potential Republican primary and caucus voters who watched Wednesday's debate, hosted by NBC News, finds that a plurality, or 34 percent of debate watchers, say Haley performed best. No other candidate on the stage came close to Haley. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was a distant second with 23 percent rating him best. And businessman Vivek Ramaswamy made a relatively negative impression, with 29 percent of debate watchers saying he performed the worst.

About a third of Republican debate watchers think Haley performed best in debate

Q: No matter how you plan to vote, who do you think performed best in the Republican primary debate on Wednesday? Who do you think performed the worst in the Republican primary debate on Wednesday?

In a question asking viewers what debate moment was most memorable, many debate watchers mentioned Haley's back-and-forth with Ramaswamy, whom she called "scum" after he mentioned her daughter's use of TikTok. However, few said this exchange was why Haley performed best. Instead, they said Haley provided knowledgeable and direct answers on different topics.

But perhaps more importantly for Haley is the fact that the share of viewers who say they are considering voting for her increased significantly. The share considering Haley jumped eight percentage points from 45 percent to 53 percent, while DeSantis did not shift significantly from before to after the debate.

How Republican candidates' appeal changed among debate watchers

Q: Which of the following Republican candidates for president are you considering voting for in the Republican primary? (Percent considering each)

However, former president Donald Trump — who skipped the debate and remains the front-runner — saw no drop-off among debate watchers. Sixty-one percent say they considered supporting him before and after the debate.

Haley also seems to have made a positive impression with debate watchers as her favorability ratings rose nine percentage points after the debate. That puts her and DeSantis on equal footing, although his favorables inched up just slightly.

Favorability of GOP candidates before and after the debate

Q: How favorable or unfavorable is your opinion of each of the following Republican presidential candidates? (Among debate watchers)

Notably, despite being rated as one of the worst-performing candidates, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie saw a large jump in his favorable ratings among debate watchers, up 13 points to 41 percent. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott got an 11-point favorability boost to 57 percent. Ramaswamy's favorability rating did not shift significantly, but his unfavorability rating increased 12 points to 47 percent.

Share of Republicans saying Haley performed 'excellent' or 'very good' increased from second debate

Q: And thinking more specifically, how would you rate the performance of each of the candidates who participated in the Republican primary debate on Wednesday?

One clear takeaway is that the debates have boosted Haley. Over half of viewers (55 percent) say she performed "excellent" or "very good," which is among the highest of any candidate. Compared with the second debate, the third debate also marked a nine-point jump for Haley in terms of viewers who were impressed by her performance. DeSantis isn't far behind, though, with 53 percent giving him positive marks.

Ramaswamy, however, has slipped over time. After coming in second in the first debate, when 55 percent of debate watchers said he performed excellent or very good, the share saying the same in the second debate fell to 40 percent and dropped to 33 percent after Wednesday's debate.