Polls close for GOP primary election in South Carolina

Citizens in South Carolina fled to the polls in Republican primary election on Saturday, choosing between former state governor Nikki Haley and former President Donald Trump.

The Associated Press, ABC News and CNN projected Trump to win shortly after the polls.

It was South Carolina’s first-in-the-South Republican presidential primary. The first head-to-head matchup for the last two remaining major candidates since the New Hampshire primary a month ago, according to the Associated Press.

Haley was South Carolina’s governor for six years before stepping down in 2017 to serve as U.N. ambassador when Trump was elected president.

Despite her history, Haley faced strong headwinds in a state where Trump has the support of most of the party establishment, according to the Associated Press.

ALSO READ: President Joe Biden wins South Carolina Democratic primary, AP reports

The South Carolina primary is usually an indicator of which candidate will win the Republican presidential nomination.

Since the modern version of the state’s primary began in 1980, all but one GOP primary winner has gone on to win the party’s nomination, according to the Associated Press.

VIDEO: President Joe Biden wins South Carolina Democratic primary, AP reports