DAVENPORT, IOWA — Former U.N. Ambassador and presidential hopeful Nikki Haley pitched her candidacy as a new era for the Republican Party at a campaign event on Wednesday in the Von Maur Warehouse in Davenport.

Haley’s packed Wednesday night town hall is one of ten she hosted in her most recent five-day swing through the state with just weeks until the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 15. Around 150 supporters attended the Women for Nikki town hall. 

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Ohio entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and Texas Pastor Ryan Binkley also visited the state this week hoping to foster a late boom in support ahead of the first-in-the-nation caucuses. 

During the Davenport address, Haley emphasized the need for a strong leader to bring results for the entire party. 

“The only way we’re gonna win the majority of Americans is if we have a new generational leader that leaves the negativity and the baggage behind,” Haley said. 

Haley said Trump is no longer right for the country and that the chaos he brought was not good for America. 

“We can’t have a country in disarray and a world on fire and go through four more years of chaos and survive it,” Haley said. 

Haley pointed to her relative success in general election polls against President Joe Biden as proof of her status as that “generational leader.” 

Haley mentioned that in a recent poll by the Wall Street Journal, she is estimated to beat Biden by 17 points, while Trump would be even with Biden in the poll. 

Haley currently polls at 16 percent among likely Iowa caucusgoers, according to a December Des Moines Register/NBC News/Mediacom Iowa Poll, trailing behind Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis who polls at 19 percent, and Trump, who polls at 51 percent. 

However, after gaining the endorsement of Gov. Chris Sununu, R-N.H., on Dec. 12, Haley gained traction in New Hampshire. 

A recent Saint Anselm College Poll of New Hampshire voters shows Haley polls at around 30 percent among likely voters in the state, only 14 points behind Trump, and DeSantis comes in at 24 points behind Haley. 

Haley has also leaned into her historic run being one of three women to make it to the Iowa caucuses and the first Republican woman to have a chance at finishing in the top two in the Iowa caucuses. 

However, only 17 percent of likely Iowa Republican caucusgoers who were women said they supported Haley in the same December Iowa Poll, support among women mirrored the overall results of the Iowa Poll. 

Haley talks abortion policy, compassion

During her address to voters in Davenport, Haley dug in on her stance on abortion. 

Haley reiterated that the issue is personal for most voters and should be treated as such. Haley said she is “unapologetically pro-life” and appreciates anti-abortion laws like those passed in Iowa and her home state of South Carolina. 

However, she wants to look to common sense reforms that will help reduce the amount of abortions that can feasibly be passed on a federal level with a split Congress.

“No Republican president can ban abortions, any more than a Democratic president can ban the state laws [banning abortions],” Haley said. 

Haley said she would look at what reforms have popular consensus like banning rare late-term abortions, promoting adoption, promoting contraception, and ensuring no women are put in jail for having an abortion. 

“Let’s start there. Let’s humanize this issue — stop demonizing this issue,” Haley said. 

Dona Noble, of Bettendorf, said she is planning to caucus for Haley in January and said she aligned closely with her on abortion policy. 

“I am not strongly anti-abortion, I am more looking at the women’s needs and I feel it’s partially a women’s decision so I align with her [Haley] on abortion,” Noble said.