Niki Haley 2016: 8 Facts About Personal Life of GOP Presidential Hopeful

Prospective 2016 GOP presidential hopeful Nikki R. Haley, neé Nimrata "Nikki" Randhawa, was born on Jan. 20, 1972, and is one of four children born to Sikh immigrants Dr. Ajit Singh Randhwawa and Raj Kaur Randhawa. In 2010, she became the first Indian-American woman elected governor of South Carolina and just the second Indian-American governor in the U.S.

Here are eight facts about her personal life that offer some insight to her possible candidacy.

1. At age 13, Haley took on her first job: bookkeeper for her family’s clothing store. After graduating from Orangeburg Preparatory School, she enrolled at Clemson University, earning a degree in accounting. Haley began her professional career with a private company before returning to her family’s business and overseeing its expansion to a multimillion-dollar business.

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2. Haley’s first political office was as a relatively unknown representative to the 87th district in Lexington County in 2004, where she began her efforts to pass tax relief for both individuals and businesses. Four years later, in 2008, she was re-elected with 83 percent of the vote — the highest-percentage result reached by any lawmaker in a contested state election that year.

3. In just another two years, Haley made her mark in history by winning the South Carolina gubernatorial election. At age 38, she was the youngest governor in the U.S.


4. According to Vogue, Haley is an enthusiastic optimist and has instructed her staff to answer telephone calls with, “It’s a great day in South Carolina!” She has also penned a memoir of her political journey, aptly titled "Can’t Is Not an Option."

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5. Haley is married to Michael Haley, and the couple have two children: a daughter, Rena, and a son, Nalin. The family shares its home with several pets, including a Shar-Pei named Simba. The Haleys attend Mt. Horeb United Methodist Church in Lexington.

6. When Haley reflects on her first state legislature campaign, she recounted for Vogue her ambiguity about running. “I didn’t even know if I was Republican or Democrat,” she said. Yet once Haley began vocalizing her political views, there was no doubt that she was a Republican.

7. Ironically, it was a Democrat — Hillary Rodham Clinton — who inspired her to get involved. “She said there will be all of these reasons that people tell you can’t do it. She said that there’s only one reason for you to do it, and it’s because you know it’s the right thing. I walked out of there thinking, I’ve got to do this,” Haley told Vogue.

8. While Clinton was a motivation to run, Haley is quick to note that Margaret Thatcher is the more accurate political role model.

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