Nikki Haley

Bio:
Nikki Haley (born Nimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley on January 20, 1972 in Bamberg, South Carolina) is an American politician. Nikki attended Orangeburg Prep School and Clemson University, graduating with a B.S. in Accounting. After school, she worked for FCR Corp., a waste management/recycling company before joining her mother’s clothing firm, Exotica International. The family grew the business into a multi-million dollar company. Nikki was named to the board of directors of Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce in 1998. In 2004, Nikki ran for the South Carolina House of Representatives for the Lexington Country district. She unseated Republican Larry Koon in the primaries and was elected to the position. She was re-elected in 2006 and 2008. In 2010, she successfully defeated Democratic candidate, Vincent Sheehen, in the race for South Carolina governor. Nikki is the first woman to serve as Governor of South Carolina. She was re-elected in 2014. Her second and final term will end in January 2019. In wake of the June 2015 Charleston Church Shooting, she said that the Confederate flag should not be flying over the South Carolina capitol. On Nov. 23, 2016, Nikki was chosen as the US Ambassador to the UN for the Trump Administration. 

Best Known For:
Nikki Haley is best known as an American politician, most notably as the Governor of South Carolina.

Personal Life:
Nikki is the daughter of Indian immigrants. She married Michael Haley, an officer in the South Carolina Army National Guard, in September 1996. The couple have two children together – Rena and Nalin. Though she was raised as a Sikh, Nikki identifies as a Christian.