South Carolina governor Nikki Haley is expected to endorse Marco Rubio for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, according to multiple reports.
Haley is expected to make her announcement at a 6 p.m. speaking engagement in Chapin, S.C. this evening, and spend the next few days on the campaign trail with Rubio.
Haley’s endorsement comes just days before the Palmetto state goes to the polls for the South Carolina primary. Rubio (14 percent) currently trails frontrunner Donald Trump (38 percent) by 24 points in a recent CNN poll.
Though Rubio continues to trail Trump by a substantial margin, Haley’s endorsement could give him the edge over establishment candidates like Jeb Bush and John Kasich. Rubio could also make a run for a second-place finish, as he trails Texas senator Ted Cruz by eight points.
As a two-term governor, Haley has enjoyed an 81 percent approval rating in South Carolina.
