Nikki Haley (born Nimrata "Nikki" Randhawa; January 20, 1972) is an American politician who has served as the 116th Governor of South Carolina since 2011. Prior to becoming governor, she represented Lexington County in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 2005 to 2011. Haley is the first woman to serve as Governor of South Carolina; at the age of 44, she is the youngest current governor in the United States. She is the second Asian-American of Indian descent to serve as governor in the United States, after Bobby Jindal of Louisiana. As governor, she also serves as chair, ex-officio, of the board of trustees of the University of South Carolina during her term in office.
On November 4, 2014, Haley was re-elected to a second term as the Governor, a term that will expire on January 9, 2019. She delivered the Republican response to Barack Obama's final State of the Union address on January 12, 2016. For the United States presidential election in 2016 Haley endorsed fellow Republican Marco Rubio. After Rubio suspended his campaign on March 15, she subsequently endorsed Ted Cruz for President. Haley was chosen by President-elect Donald Trump to be the United States Ambassador to the United Nations on November 23, 2016, and will assume that office if confirmed by the Senate.
Haley was elected chair of the freshman caucus in 2005 and majority whip in the South Carolina General Assembly. She was the only freshman legislator named to a whip spot. Haley was raised as a Sikh. In September 1996, she married Michael Haley with both Sikh and Methodist ceremonies. Haley identifies herself today as a Christian.[88] She attends Mt. Horeb United Methodist Church. Her husband is an officer in the South Carolina Army National Guard and was sent on a year-long deployment to Afghanistan in January 2013. The couple have two children, Rena and Nalin. In May 2015, she received an honorary doctorate in public service from the University of South Carolina.
