The Groundbreaker

Overcoming racism, child abuse and affair allegations, she is a testament to the power of determination and grit.

Earthy, attractive and articulate, this stiletto-heeled 42-year old built a governorship on aggressive budget cutting, relentless pursuit of job growth and a cheerleader’s enthusiasm for a state that often finishes toward the back of the pack in education and economics.

She is the first female governor of South Carolina as well as the second Indian-American governor in the US.

 

Childhood

Nikki Haley was born Nimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley on January 20, 1972 to Sikh immigrants in South Carolina.  As a child, she was abused by a day-care provider.

She attended local schools and graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting.

 

Career

Haley worked for her mother’s upscale clothing business, Exotica International, helping to make it a multimillion-dollar company.

In 1998, Haley was named to the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors. She became president of the National Association of Women Business Owners in 2004 and immersed herself in a number of organizations, including the Lexington Medical Foundation, West Metro Republican Women.

Haley ran for a seat in the South Carolina House of Representatives in 2004. She won the primary against the longest-serving member of the House at that time and.

She went on to win the general election, in which she ran unopposed, and became the first Indian-American to hold office in South Carolina. She ran unopposed for re-election in 2006, and defeated her Democrat challenger in 2008.

Haley, who is also a member of the Tea Party movement, announced in May 2009 that she would run for governor in 2010. She was endorsed by former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin and Jenny Sanford, incumbent first lady of South Carolina. She won the election, and was elected governor on November 2, 2010.

 

Political views

As a Republican, Haley’s platform is anti-tax and fiscally conservative. She votes for bills that restrict abortion and those that protect fetuses.

As the child of legal immigrants, Haley has expressed support for greater enforcement of immigration laws.

 

Controversies

Prior to Haley’s election, she was accused of having affairs with two different men, Will Folks, former press secretary for then-South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, and Larry Marchant, a political consultant for Haley’s opponent, Andre Bauer.

Folks said he had an inappropriate physical relationship with Haley several years prior, and Marchant said he and Haley had a one-time sexual encounter. Haley denied the events, saying that she had been faithful to her husband.

 

Personal Life

In 1996, she married Michael Haley in both a Methodist church ceremony and a Sikh Gurdwara. Haley identifies herself today as a Christian, but attends both Sikh and Methodist services out of respect for her parents’ culture.

She sits on the board for Mt. Horeb United Methodist Church.

Haley published an autobiography, ‘Can’t is Not an Option: My American Story’, in 2012. In the book, Haley writes about her personal experiences growing up, including her experiences with child abuse.