Nikki Haley
Encyclopedia
Nimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley (born January 20, 1972) is the 116th and current Governor of South Carolina
. A member of the Republican Party
, Haley represented Lexington County in the South Carolina House of Representatives
from 2005 to 2010.
In the 2010 South Carolina gubernatorial election
, Haley was endorsed for the Republican nomination by former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney
, former South Carolina First Lady Jenny Sanford
, and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin
. On June 8, 2010, she finished first in the four-way Republican primary election with 49% of the vote, but fell short of the 50% required to avoid a runoff election. Haley won the runoff on June 22 with 65%, and proceeded to win the general election by a 51%-47% margin.
Haley is the first woman to serve as Governor of South Carolina, and the second Indian-American governor in the country, after Bobby Jindal
of Louisiana
. At the age of , Haley is the youngest current governor in the U.S., a distinction formerly held by Jindal. She is also the first nonwhite woman elected as governor of a Southern state, and is one of two nonwhite female governors in the country (the other being Susana Martinez
of New Mexico
, also elected in 2010).
on January 20, 1972. Her parents, Dr. Ajit and Raj Randhawa, are Sikh
immigrants from Amritsar
, Punjab, India
. She has two brothers, Mitti and Charan, and a sister, Simran. Haley is a graduate of Orangeburg Preparatory Schools
, and later graduated from Clemson University
with a B.S. in accounting and joined the FCR Corporation (a waste management and recycling company), before joining her mother's business, Exotica International, an upscale clothing firm, in 1994. The family business grew to a multi-million dollar company.
Haley was named to the Board of Directors of the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce in 1998.
She was named to the Board of Directors of the Lexington
Chamber of Commerce
in 2003. Haley became treasurer of the National Association of Women Business Owners in 2003 and president in 2004. She chaired the Lexington Gala to raise funds for the local hospital. She also serves on the Lexington Medical Foundation, Lexington County Sheriff’s Foundation, West Metro Republican Women, President of the South Carolina Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners, Chairman for 2006 Friends of Scouting Leadership Division campaign and is a member of the Rotary Club in Lexington.
for a district in Lexington County. She faced incumbent representative Larry Koon in the Republican primary. Koon, who had served since 1975, was the longest-serving member of the House. In the primary election, Haley won 40% of the vote (2,247 votes) to Koon's 42% (2,354 votes), thus forcing a runoff. Her platform was anti-tax and fiscally conservative with an emphasis on education. In the runoff, Haley won with 54.7% (2,928 votes) of the total. She then ran unopposed for the House seat; no Democrat
even filed in this heavily Republican district. She became the first Indian-American to hold office in South Carolina.
She was unopposed for reelection in 2006, and defeated Democrat Edgar Gomez with 83 percent of the vote in 2008.
. She was the only freshman legislator named to a whip spot.
Abortion
Haley is pro-life and consistently votes for bills protecting unborn fetuses. She has also voted on bills that protect expecting mother's rights for extreme circumstances in which it might be necessary to get an abortion to protect the expecting mother's life. Several bills have been passed but other bills have been tabled, or killed. Some bills that Haley has voted on and that have gotten passed are the Penalties for Harming an Unborn Child/Fetus, Pre-Abortion Ultrasound
, and the 24 Hour Waiting Period for Abortions. The Penalties for Harming an Unborn Child/Fetus says that any act of violence against the unborn fetus is like a criminal act against the mother. The Pre-abortion Ultrasound requires the woman considering an abortion to look at an ultrasound before making a decision in an attempt to prevent unnecessary abortion. In addition, the 24 Hour Waiting Period for Abortions requires the woman to wait one day from the time of the ultrasound before making a decision.
Nikki Haley voted yes for all of these bills and all of them were passed at different times. However, some bills that were tabled or rejected include the Inclusion of Unborn Child/Fetus in Definition for Civil Suits Amendment, Prohibiting Employment Termination Due to Abortion Waiting Period, and Exempting Cases of Rape from Abortion Waiting Period. These bills focus more on the rights of the mother as well as the unborn fetus. The Exempting cases of Rape from Abortion Waiting Period would allow specific cases of women to not have to wait the mandatory 24 hours before having an abortion.
was still in office) to place a surtax
on every cigarette
produced. The funds earned would be appropriated to smoking prevention programs and cancer research related to smoking. Haley actively fights wasteful spending in an attempt to lower taxes and work for the taxpayer. She voted yes for a bill that raised sales tax to six percent. The bill exempted sales tax on unprepared food such as canned goods etc. The same bill also exempts property tax on 'owner-occupied residential property' except for the taxes due from what is still owed on the property.
Haley was then attacked by many for, what she later admitted were, her poor choice of words.
nomination for Governor
of South Carolina
in 2010. On November 11, 2009, she was endorsed by Jenny Sanford
, the incumbent first lady of South Carolina, as well as former Massachusetts governor and GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney
. However, she remained in last place among primary candidates in the polls and also in fundraising until former Alaska governor and GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin
endorsed her. The Republican gubernatorial primary took place on June 8, 2010, and Haley captured 49% of the vote, necessitating a runoff election on June 22. Haley won handily in the runoff vote.
In October 2010 South Carolina pollster Crantford & Associates reported Haley barely edging Democratic challenger Vincent Sheheen in general election polling 45% to 41%.
Haley is also part of the Tea Party movement
.
Haley was elected governor on November 2, 2010 over the Democratic candidate, Vincent Sheheen 51% to 47%.
. On September 6, 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.
Michael is a federal employee with the United States Department of the Army
and an officer in the South Carolina Army National Guard
. Nikki and Michael have two children, Rena (12 yrs old) and Nalin (9 yrs old). Haley's brother Mitti is an active duty officer who has served in the U.S. Army for the past 20 years.
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
Governor of South Carolina
The Governor of the State of South Carolina is the head of state for the State of South Carolina. Under the South Carolina Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the South Carolina executive branch. The Governor is the ex officio...
. A member of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, Haley represented Lexington County in the South Carolina House of Representatives
South Carolina House of Representatives
The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the upper house being the South Carolina Senate. It consists of 124 Representatives elected to two year terms at the same time as US Congressional elections...
from 2005 to 2010.
In the 2010 South Carolina gubernatorial election
South Carolina gubernatorial election, 2010
The 2010 South Carolina gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Republican Governor Mark Sanford was term limited and unable to seek re-election. Primary elections took place on June 8, 2010 and a runoff election, as was necessary on the Republican side, was held two weeks...
, Haley was endorsed for the Republican nomination by former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
, former South Carolina First Lady Jenny Sanford
Jenny Sanford
Jennifer Sullivan Sanford is the former First Lady of South Carolina, heiress, and former investment banker.She was married to Governor Mark Sanford, whose initial campaigns she substantially funded...
, and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
. On June 8, 2010, she finished first in the four-way Republican primary election with 49% of the vote, but fell short of the 50% required to avoid a runoff election. Haley won the runoff on June 22 with 65%, and proceeded to win the general election by a 51%-47% margin.
Haley is the first woman to serve as Governor of South Carolina, and the second Indian-American governor in the country, after Bobby Jindal
Bobby Jindal
Piyush "Bobby" Jindal is the 55th and current Governor of Louisiana and formerly a member of the United States House of Representatives. He is a member of the Republican Party....
of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. At the age of , Haley is the youngest current governor in the U.S., a distinction formerly held by Jindal. She is also the first nonwhite woman elected as governor of a Southern state, and is one of two nonwhite female governors in the country (the other being Susana Martinez
Susana Martinez
Susana Martinez is the 31st and current governor of New Mexico.A Republican, Martinez is the first female governor of New Mexico, as well as the first female Hispanic governor in the United States. She was formerly the district attorney for the 3rd Judicial District of the U.S. state of New Mexico...
of New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, also elected in 2010).
Early life, education and career
Haley was born Nimrata Nikki Randhawa in Bamberg, South CarolinaBamberg, South Carolina
Bamberg is a city in and the county seat of Bamberg County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,733 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bamberg is located at ....
on January 20, 1972. Her parents, Dr. Ajit and Raj Randhawa, are Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
immigrants from Amritsar
Amritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
, Punjab, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. She has two brothers, Mitti and Charan, and a sister, Simran. Haley is a graduate of Orangeburg Preparatory Schools
Orangeburg Preparatory Schools, Inc.
Orangeburg Preparatory Schools, Inc. is an independent, college-preparatory, coeducational day school enrolling students in preschool through twelfth grade. Orangeburg Preparatory Schools, Inc. admits students of any race, color, religion, national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges,...
, and later graduated from Clemson University
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
with a B.S. in accounting and joined the FCR Corporation (a waste management and recycling company), before joining her mother's business, Exotica International, an upscale clothing firm, in 1994. The family business grew to a multi-million dollar company.
Haley was named to the Board of Directors of the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce in 1998.
She was named to the Board of Directors of the Lexington
Lexington, South Carolina
Lexington is a town in and the county seat of Lexington County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 17,870 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Lexington is located at ....
Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
in 2003. Haley became treasurer of the National Association of Women Business Owners in 2003 and president in 2004. She chaired the Lexington Gala to raise funds for the local hospital. She also serves on the Lexington Medical Foundation, Lexington County Sheriff’s Foundation, West Metro Republican Women, President of the South Carolina Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners, Chairman for 2006 Friends of Scouting Leadership Division campaign and is a member of the Rotary Club in Lexington.
Elections
In 2004, she ran for the South Carolina House of RepresentativesSouth Carolina House of Representatives
The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly, the upper house being the South Carolina Senate. It consists of 124 Representatives elected to two year terms at the same time as US Congressional elections...
for a district in Lexington County. She faced incumbent representative Larry Koon in the Republican primary. Koon, who had served since 1975, was the longest-serving member of the House. In the primary election, Haley won 40% of the vote (2,247 votes) to Koon's 42% (2,354 votes), thus forcing a runoff. Her platform was anti-tax and fiscally conservative with an emphasis on education. In the runoff, Haley won with 54.7% (2,928 votes) of the total. She then ran unopposed for the House seat; no Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
even filed in this heavily Republican district. She became the first Indian-American to hold office in South Carolina.
She was unopposed for reelection in 2006, and defeated Democrat Edgar Gomez with 83 percent of the vote in 2008.
Tenure
Haley served as secretary of the Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs committees. She also was elected chairman of the freshman caucus in 2005 and elected as majority whip in the South Carolina General AssemblySouth Carolina General Assembly
The South Carolina General Assembly, also called the South Carolina Legislature, is the state legislature of the U.S. state of South Carolina. The legislature is bicameral and consists of the lower South Carolina House of Representatives and the upper South Carolina Senate. Altogether, the General...
. She was the only freshman legislator named to a whip spot.
Awards
- 2005 "Friend of the Taxpayer" – South Carolina Association of Taxpayers
- 2006
- "Palmetto Leadership Award" – South Carolina Policy Council (a limited-government advocacy group)
- "Strom Thurmond Excellence in Public Service and Government Award" – South Carolina federation of Republican Women
- 2009 "Friend of the Taxpayer" – South Carolina Association of Taxpayers
- 2010 "Taxpayer Hero" – South Carolina Club for Growth
- 2011 "India Abroad Person of the Year 2010" – India Abroad
AbortionAbortionAbortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
Issues
Haley is pro-life and consistently votes for bills protecting unborn fetuses. She has also voted on bills that protect expecting mother's rights for extreme circumstances in which it might be necessary to get an abortion to protect the expecting mother's life. Several bills have been passed but other bills have been tabled, or killed. Some bills that Haley has voted on and that have gotten passed are the Penalties for Harming an Unborn Child/Fetus, Pre-Abortion UltrasoundUltrasound
Ultrasound is cyclic sound pressure with a frequency greater than the upper limit of human hearing. Ultrasound is thus not separated from "normal" sound based on differences in physical properties, only the fact that humans cannot hear it. Although this limit varies from person to person, it is...
, and the 24 Hour Waiting Period for Abortions. The Penalties for Harming an Unborn Child/Fetus says that any act of violence against the unborn fetus is like a criminal act against the mother. The Pre-abortion Ultrasound requires the woman considering an abortion to look at an ultrasound before making a decision in an attempt to prevent unnecessary abortion. In addition, the 24 Hour Waiting Period for Abortions requires the woman to wait one day from the time of the ultrasound before making a decision.
Nikki Haley voted yes for all of these bills and all of them were passed at different times. However, some bills that were tabled or rejected include the Inclusion of Unborn Child/Fetus in Definition for Civil Suits Amendment, Prohibiting Employment Termination Due to Abortion Waiting Period, and Exempting Cases of Rape from Abortion Waiting Period. These bills focus more on the rights of the mother as well as the unborn fetus. The Exempting cases of Rape from Abortion Waiting Period would allow specific cases of women to not have to wait the mandatory 24 hours before having an abortion.
Taxation Issues
One of Haley's goals is to lower taxes through various bills that have been proposed. Just as with the abortion issue bills, some of these have been passed and others tabled or rejected. Haley has constantly voted against a bill that would override the governor's veto (when Mark SanfordMark Sanford
Marshall Clement "Mark" Sanford Jr. is an American politician from South Carolina, who was the 115th Governor of South Carolina from 2003 to 2011....
was still in office) to place a surtax
Surtax
A surtax may be a tax levied upon a tax, or a tax levied upon income.-United Kingdom:In 1929, Supertax was renamed Sur-tax...
on every cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
produced. The funds earned would be appropriated to smoking prevention programs and cancer research related to smoking. Haley actively fights wasteful spending in an attempt to lower taxes and work for the taxpayer. She voted yes for a bill that raised sales tax to six percent. The bill exempted sales tax on unprepared food such as canned goods etc. The same bill also exempts property tax on 'owner-occupied residential property' except for the taxes due from what is still owed on the property.
Immigration Issues
Nikki Haley, being the daughter of legal immigrants, believes the immigration laws should be enforced. She voted in favor of the law that aims to reform South Carolina's immigration policy. It requires employers to be able to prove that any newly hired employees are legal residents of the United States. The law has been adopted but is coming under attack. The United States sued South Carolina for its immigration law which also requires people to carry documentation proving that they are legally in the United States. The Federal Government says that the immigration law undermines their power and interferes with foreign relations. Rob Godfrey, a spokesman for Nikki Haley, said, "If the feds were doing their job, we wouldn't have had to address illegal immigration reform at the state level. But, until they do, we're going to keep fighting in South Carolina to be able to enforce our laws."Education Policies
Nikki Haley has a conservative stance on education and how it should be done more effectively for the money that is being put into it (in South Carolina). One of her goals as governor is to stop the wasting of money and to redirect it to students and teachers. She believes that no community should be ignored and that every student should be offered the same opportunity for a quality education. She wants to see South Carolina move to the top of the charts in the United States, but to do that, the education in South Carolina needs reform. She has proposed a plan that would determine a teacher's salary not only based on the number and type of degree they have, but on performance as a teacher. Their performance would be determined by evaluations and reports from people directly involved with the teacher, like the principal, students and parents. On her gubernatorial campaign, Haley said that she would be in favor of school choice and also wanted to see more charter schools develop. She wants charter schools to effectively be run by teachers and parents and to also shrink the South Carolina Department of Education. She believes that much of the wasteful spending happens because the money sits too long in the department before ever getting to students and teachers."Little girl" Incident
Following a trip to Europe to meet with potential companies that might invest in South Carolina and create jobs, Haley was criticized for the amount of taxpayer dollars spent on the trip. Over $127,000 was spent over the duration of the weeklong trip. She was criticized for spending the money on what seemed to some as unnecessary luxuries like five star hotels. A female reporter from The Post and Courier of Charleston asked Haley about an article that had criticized her trip and spending. On "The Laura Ingraham Show" Haley said, "God bless that little girl at The Post and Courier. I mean her job is to try and create conflict. My job is to create jobs. In the end I'm going to have jobs to show for it."Haley was then attacked by many for, what she later admitted were, her poor choice of words.
2010 campaign for Governor
On May 14, 2009, Haley announced that she would be running for the RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nomination for Governor
Governor of South Carolina
The Governor of the State of South Carolina is the head of state for the State of South Carolina. Under the South Carolina Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the South Carolina executive branch. The Governor is the ex officio...
of South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
in 2010. On November 11, 2009, she was endorsed by Jenny Sanford
Jenny Sanford
Jennifer Sullivan Sanford is the former First Lady of South Carolina, heiress, and former investment banker.She was married to Governor Mark Sanford, whose initial campaigns she substantially funded...
, the incumbent first lady of South Carolina, as well as former Massachusetts governor and GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
. However, she remained in last place among primary candidates in the polls and also in fundraising until former Alaska governor and GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
endorsed her. The Republican gubernatorial primary took place on June 8, 2010, and Haley captured 49% of the vote, necessitating a runoff election on June 22. Haley won handily in the runoff vote.
In October 2010 South Carolina pollster Crantford & Associates reported Haley barely edging Democratic challenger Vincent Sheheen in general election polling 45% to 41%.
Haley is also part of the Tea Party movement
Tea Party movement
The Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
.
Haley was elected governor on November 2, 2010 over the Democratic candidate, Vincent Sheheen 51% to 47%.
Personal life
Haley was born and raised as a SikhSikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
. On September 6, 1996 she married Michael Haley in both a Methodist church ceremony and a Sikh gurdwara
Gurdwara
A Gurdwara , meaning the Gateway to the Guru, is the place of worship for Sikhs, the followers of Sikhism. A Gurdwara can be identified from a distance by tall flagpoles bearing the Nishan Sahib ....
. 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.
Michael is a federal employee with the United States Department of the Army
United States Department of the Army
The Department of the Army is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the United States of America. The Department of the Army is the Federal Government agency which the United States Army is organized within, and it is led by the Secretary of the Army who has...
and an officer in the South Carolina Army National Guard
South Carolina Army National Guard
The South Carolina Army National Guard is a component of the United States Army and the United States National Guard. Nationwide, the Army National Guard comprises approximately one half of the US Army's available combat forces and approximately one third of its support organization...
. Nikki and Michael have two children, Rena (12 yrs old) and Nalin (9 yrs old). Haley's brother Mitti is an active duty officer who has served in the U.S. Army for the past 20 years.
External links
- Governor Nikki Haley official state website
- Nikki Haley for Governor official campaign website
- Nikki Haley – The First Indian-American Woman Governor, SpeakBindas
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-