Nikki Haley secured a victory in the Republican presidential primary in Washington, DC, on Sunday, March 3. This marks her first win in the competition against former President Donald Trump. The triumph comes just before Super Tuesday, during which 15 states and one territory are set to hold their elections.

Trump beat Haley in Iowa and New Hampshire, and in Nevada too, where Haley did not appear on the ballot. She was also beaten by Trump in the US Virgin Islands, before being defeated in South Carolina. But she is the first woman to win a Republican primary in US history.

Mr Trump however has a huge lead over Ms Haley and is likely to face Joe Biden in the November election.

“It’s not surprising that Republicans closest to Washington dysfunction are rejecting Donald Trump and all his chaos,” Haley spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas said in a statement.

Trump’s campaign too released a statement, calling it a "statement on Nikki Haley Being Crowned Queen of The Swamp." "Tonight's results in Washington DC reaffirm the object of President Trump's campaign -- he will drain the swamp and put America first," the statement said.

This is not the first time Republicans in the capital have rejected Trump. During the last competitive Republican nominating contest in the District of Columbia, in 2016, Trump received less than 14% of the vote and no delegates, even as he went on to win the nomination nationally.

Washington is one of the most heavily Democratic jurisdictions in the nation, with only about 23,000 registered Republicans in the city. The incumbent US President Joe Biden won the district in the 2020 general election with 92% of the vote.

As reported by Reuters, Nikki Haley encounters extremely challenging prospects in her bid to secure the Republican nomination for a potential matchup against the presumed Democratic nominee, President Biden, in November. Despite winning in America's capital city after former President Trump dominated the initial eight nominating contests, Haley faces an uphill battle. Current opinion polls suggest that Trump is anticipated to continue winning in the majority of upcoming nominating contests.

Image source: AP