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Nimrata Nikki Kaur Randhawa-Haley
In Race for South Carolina Governor

NEWS REPORTS

 

Nikki Nimrata Kaur Randhawa-Haley is running as a Republican candidate for South Carolina's Governor.

Nikki has set up her campaign website for the race of becoming the Governor at www.nikkihaley.com.

She announced her campaign in May of 2009. It's sure to be an exciting, hard-fought race and there is plenty of work ahead.

However, Nikki is confident.

"My race for governor is more than a campaign. It's a movement focused on bringing good government back to you - the people it represents. It's about bringing common sense back to the way government fosters job growth, improves education, and protects the rights and freedoms of our citizens. And it's about finally reigning in the reckless spending that has gone on for too long - if we're spending too much we aren't being good stewards of your money," writes Nikki in her website.

Nikki has the support of the current governor Mark Sanford.

Sanford says: "Nikki Haley is a true conservative and one of our state's leading voices for fiscal responsibility and government reform. It's too early to endorse anyone, but I would say Nikki Haley would make a terrific and inspiring choice as governor, and she's a great addition to the field of candidates."

Nikki says she is leading the fight to change the way things are done in Columbia by demanding accountability, transparency, and good government.

If elected, Nikki Haley will become the first Sikh-American Governor of a U.S. state.

 

BIO

One of the strongest fiscal conservatives in state government, Nikki (Nimrata Kaur) Randhawa-Haley continues to earn the trust of District 87 voters in South Carolina, U.S.A., through hard work, principled leadership on behalf of her constituents and an unwavering commitment to the taxpayer's bottom line.

A pro-business leader in the fight for lower taxes and less government, Nikki has fought wasteful spending at every turn during her time in the state's capital, Columbia, pushing for smaller, more efficient and more accountable government. In advancing reforms designed to make South Carolina ("S.C.") more competitive, she has emerged in the House of Representatives as a true "Reagan Republican", a tireless proponent of common sense legislation designed to raise income levels, create new jobs and materially enhance quality of life.

For her efforts to cut taxes and slow the growth of government spending, Nikki was named "Friend of the Taxpayer" (2005) by the S.C. Association of Taxpayers and a "Taxpayer Hero" (2005) by S.C. Governor Mark Sanford. She has also received the Palmetto Leadership Award from the S.C. Policy Council for her expertise on policy matters and the Strom Thurmond Excellence in Public Service and Government Award from the S.C. Federation of Republican Women for the outstanding constituent service she provides to her district.

Since becoming the first Republican Party Sikh-American (and South-Asian) in the nation to win a State House seat in 2004, Nikki has been named Chairman of the Freshman Caucus (2005) and Majority Whip (2006), and was recently appointed to the powerful House Labor, Commerce and Industry (LCI) Committee.

Born in Bamberg, S.C., Nikki graduated from Clemson University with a B.S. degree in accounting. She currently serves as Chief Financial Officer for her family's clothing company, Exotica International, Inc. Nikki also currently serves on the board of directors for the Lexington Medical Foundation, Mt. Horeb United Methodist Church Medmission, and the Lexington County Meth Taskforce. She is a member of the Lexington County Chamber of Commerce, Lexington Rotary Club, National Association of Women Business Owners, West Metro Republican Women, Lexington County Republican Party and the National Rifle Association.

Daughter of Dr. Ajit Singh and Raj Kaur Randhawa, Nikki now lives, along with her husband, Michael, in Lexington; they have two children, Rena, 11, and Nalin, 8.

 

June 24, 2009 

Conversation about this article

1: Manjyot Kaur (New York City, U.S.A.), June 25, 2009, 11:13 AM.

Getting support from Governor Sanford may not prove helpful to her. Sanford is now being reviled - justifiably so - as America's latest "Luv Guv" after admitting an extramarital affair with a woman in Argentina.

2: Manjit (Canada), June 25, 2009, 11:40 AM.

The best wishes to Nikki in her bid to be elected as the Governor of South Carolina. If elected, Nikki would be the second person born to Punjabi parents to become Governor of a State in USA. Bobby Jindal is the other Punjabi.

3: Bhupinder Singh Ghai (New Delhi, India), June 26, 2009, 5:44 AM.

We should be proud of Nikki as she is of Sikh heritage. Has she done anything for the Sikh community, though?

4: M. (Glendale, U.S.A.), June 26, 2009, 2:50 PM.

The situation in U.S.A. is different from U.K. and Canada where, in certain jurisdictions, Sikhs are a dominant demographic for votes. I fear that our politicians in the U.S. are therefore, as a result, less attentive to Sikh community needs, and more to their own career aspirations.

5: Suzy Kaur (Oxford, England), June 27, 2009, 8:44 AM.

In response to M from Glendale, USA. There is no constituency in the UK electorate in which Sikhs form a dominant demographic for votes. The highest 'Sikh' constituency in Britain is London Southall, in which 24% of the voters are Sikh. Therefore, you are mistaken that Sikhs have any kind of large voting bloc that can make or break any politician in the UK. In Southall, 76 % of the voters are non-Sikh, and so, thankfully, no politician has to bow to any sectarian agenda in that constituency because to do so would alienate voters of other faiths. I am very supportive of Nikki Randhawa, and I am very happy that she does not have to be 'attentive' to Sikh community needs, because invariably these 'community needs' are sectarian in impulse, and involve staying silent on issues that affect Sikh women, like coercive and forced arranged marriage, honour based violence against women (and some men), and spousal abuse. The day that Sikhs can escape from this mob mentality view of politics, and reach out and serve their country as a whole, without fear or favour or prejudice, and not be assumed to follow a narrow ethnic or religious agenda, is the day that Sikhs will be truly free.

6: Tejwant (U.S.A.), June 28, 2009, 9:28 PM.

It is irrelevant whether Nimrata has a Sikh background or not. It is the Gurmat values that makes someone a Sikh. The question to ask is if the Republican party which is a bunch of Christian conservatives and mostly white have the platform that compliments Sikh values? They propagate family values and then shamelessly cling to their political high chairs rather than resigning when caught with their pants down with someone else than their own spouses. I have not heard Nimrata condemn what Sanford has done. So, let us not back and applaud someone because she/he has a Sikh background but without Gurmat values, one is just a politician immersed in Me-ism.

7: Virenderjit Singh (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), July 29, 2009, 2:50 PM.

Tejwant Singh from U.S.A. has hit the nail on the head. We have put Gurmat values on the back burner in pursuing success ... fame ... power. Some even exploit their ethnic backgrounds to meet their needs. You can do it all, and at the same time do it better, through gurmat values!

8: Sharma (U.S.A.), December 30, 2009, 2:24 PM.

I support Nikki Kaur Haley because she is a great American. That she is a Sikh-American is of no less powerful significance. Let all of us who live and prosper in this great nation get behind Nikki for the sheer treasure that she is, and the great leader she will be for South Carolina.

9: Gurvinderpal Singh (U.S.A.), June 09, 2010, 4:10 PM.

Is it accurate to call her the first Republican Party "Sikh"-American ..., as the Washington Post referred to her today, despite describing her as a Christian? Wouldn't the correct term be - the first "Republican party female Punjabi-American"?

10: Mohan Singh (Milwaukee, WI, U.S.A.), June 23, 2010, 9:32 AM.

Nikki is not a Sikh.

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