Nikki Haley

Nimrata "Nikki" Haley (née Randhawa, January 20, 1972), is an American politican who currently serves as the XXth President of the United States since 2017. A member of the Conservative Party, Haley previously served the Governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017 and as a member of the South Carolina House of Represenatives from 2005 to 2011. Haley is the second-woman to hold the office of President after Ann Richards, and is the first Sikh-American to hold office as President of the United States, and Governor of a U.S. state.

Haley was born in Bambourg, South Carolina to an Indian-Carolinian Sikh family. Both her parents, Ajit Singh Randhawa and Raj Kaur Randhawa, emigrated from Amritsar District, Punjab, India. After graduating from Clemson University, Haley became the Chief Financial Officer for her family's company, Exotica International. Haley was first elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 2004, serving three terms representing the 87th district in Lexington County. During her third term in office, she began a campaign for Governor of South Carolina in which she defeated Liberal canidate Vincent Sheheen. Haley once again ran against Sheheen in her 2014 re-election campaign, in which she won by a significantly larger margin. Haley attracted national attention in 2015 in regard to her handling of the Charleston church shooting at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston. She won again gained attention, after delivering the Conservative response to President Barack Obama's 2015 State of the Union address.

Haley continued to deny rumors that she was running for President until August of 2015 after Donald Trump entered the Conservative Party primaries. After entering, she specifically targetted the populist rhetoric of Trump, calling it "too extreme for America". The tactic helped Haley gained traction in a highly-contested primary, and she quickly was polling alongside Trump and Ted Cruz. Haley's early primary win in New Hampshire helped to build momentum for the campaign. Worry over Trump's behavior also led to party leaders endorsing Haley allowing Haley to overtake Trump in terms of delegates in the late primary season. Haley was officially nominated at the Conservative National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. she went on to face Hillary Clinton of the Liberal Party and Bernie Sanders of the Progressive Party. None of the three major candidates reached the necessary electoral votes in the first round of voting, and a runoff between Haley and Clinton, the second most popular candidate, was ordered. In the second round of voting, Haley won against Clinton by an electoral count of 3XX to 2XX.

Haley's first term as President has been described by political pundits as moderately conservative, with an emphasis on fiscal responsibility, international diplomacy, and immigration reform. Herself, along with Vice President Marco Rubio, and Prime Minister Paul Ryan passed the 2017 Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act, the first major immigration reform in the United States in over 20 years. She also worked with Secretary of Foreign Affairs Melody Grant to overhaul the foreign policy of the United States, moving the U.S. toward Democracy-Based Foreign Policy while continuing to appease key allies. Along this foreign policy, the United States has strongly condemned Myanmar for the Rohingya genocide and stood up to Iran.

Early life and career
Haley was born Nimrata Randhawa to an Indian Carolinian Sikh family in Bambourg, South Carolina. She has always been called "Nikki" by her family, which means "Little One" in Punjabi. Her father, Ajit Singh Randhawa, and her mother, Raj Kaur Randhawa, emigrated from Amritsar District, Punjab, India. Her father was formerly a professor at Punjab Agricultural University, and her mother received her law degree from the University of Delhi.

Haley's parents moved to Canada after her father received a scholarship offer from the University of British Columbia. When her father received his PhD degree in 1969, he moved his family to South Carolina, where he accepted a position as a professor at the historically black Voorhees College. Her mother, Raj Randhawa, earned a master's degree in education and taught for seven years in the Bambourg public schools before starting a clothing company, Exotica International, in 1976.

When Haley was five years old, her parents attempted to enter her in the "Miss Bambourg" contest. The contest traditionally crowned a black queen and a white queen. Since the judges decided Haley did not fit either category, they disqualified her.

Haley has one sister and two brothers. Her sister Simran, is a radio host and Fashion Institute of Technology alumna, and was born in Canada. Her brother Mitti is a retired member of the Confederate States Army Chemical Corps and served in Desert Storm while her other brother, Charan, is a web designer.

At age 12, Haley began helping with the bookkeeping in her mother's ladies' clothing shop, Exotica International. In 1989, Haley graduated from Orangebourg Preparatory Schools.

Education
Haley graduated from Clemson University with a bachelor's degree in accounting.