Nikki Haley

Nimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley (b. January 20, 1972) is the 116th Governor of South Carolina. Nikki Haley is one of the only Indian American governors currently serving, is South Carolina's first female governor, and at 42 is the youngest currently serving governor.

Early Life
Haley was born Nimrata Nikki Randhawa in Bamberg, South Carolina, on January 20, 1972, to an Indian Sikh family. Her parents, Ajit Singh Randhawa and Raj Kaur Randhawa, are immigrants from Amritsar District, Punjab, India. She has two brothers, Mitti and Charan, and a sister, Simran. Haley is a graduate of Orangeburg Preparatory Schools, and Clemson University with a B.S. in accounting.

Election
In the 2010 gobernational election Nikki Haley was a primary candidate, running for the Rupublican Party against Democrat Vicent Sheheen (also 42). Haley was endorsed for the Republican nomination by former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, and the Tea Party movement. 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.