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- Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley announced that she is running for president in 2024.
- Senate Republican women offered guarded praise but seemed interested in additional candidates.
- "We'll see who else jumps in" was pretty much the consensus gathered by Insider.
Most of the Republican women currently serving in the US Senate praised Nikki Haley's new presidential campaign by calling her a "serious contender" and her run "exciting," but hedged their support by saying there's, hopefully, more contenders on the way.
"I'm so excited that she's thrown her hat into the ring. And we'll see who else jumps in," Sen. Joni Ernst, who seemed to be on the exact same page as many of her colleagues, told Insider at the US Capitol.
The Iowa Republican, who vowed to remain neutral throughout the primary process because her home state will host the first GOP presidential caucus of the 2024 cycle, added that "we're going to see a lot of really wonderful quality candidates. And we're going to welcome all of them."
At the moment, that field belongs to embattled former President Donald Trump and now Haley, who formerly served as governor of South Carolina and is also a Trump administration alumnus. Trump announced his third presidential run shortly after the 2022 midterms but hasn't done much campaigning since then.
Recent polling still has the twice-impeached former president as the GOP frontrunner, followed by Florida Gov. and likely 2024 contender Ron DeSantis.
Haley threw her hat into the ring Wednesday in Charleston, South Carolina, telling supporters it was time for a "new generation" of leadership and prescribing cognitive testing for any politician older than 75 (which includes Trump).
While the half-dozen GOP women Insider talked to about Haley's plans were generally supportive of her presidential ambitions, none offered her an endorsement. And only one acknowledged actually checking out Haley's online rollout.
"I saw the video that she put out. I thought it was well done," Sen. Deb Fischer of Nebraska told Insider between Senate votes. Fischer billed Haley as a "very qualified" and "engaging person with a lot of accomplishments."
Still, she'd like to see who else is out there. "I think we have many, many people who would do a fabulous job," Fischer said of her presidential wish list.
Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming said she's expecting a "robust primary" season.
"I'm looking forward to having a lot of discussions about what it really means to be a Republican in 2024 and beyond. And how different people view the Republican agenda in what are truly transformative times," Lummis told Insider while walking back to the Senate office buildings, adding that her hope is that there will be "multiple options on the Republican side."
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said she's always been "impressed with Nikki Haley," and appreciates her shaking up the 2024 contest.
"She adds much needed diversity," Collins told Insider — before quickly adding, "I expect there'll be other very good candidates announcing as well."
Collins was definitely the most upbeat about Haley's chances.
"She's bright, communicates well, and has her pulse on what matters to working families," Collins said of Haley's qualifications. "I think she's a very interesting and serious contender."
"I'm sure there'll be a lot of other people in there," Sen. Shelly Moore Capito of West Virginia said of the burgeoning presidential race, adding that "competitive primaries are good ways for the voters to make good decisions."
Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska was the most pragmatic about the recent development, characterizing Haley's entry as real progress.
"To have a strong Republican woman out there who has been engaged at leadership on a lot of different levels, I think sends a good message," Murkowski told Insider before disappearing into a Senate subway car.