Historical Figure
Nikki Haley
b. 1972
American politician and diplomat (born 1972)
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Biography
Nimarata Nikki Randhawa Haley is an American politician and diplomat who served as the 116th governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017 and as the 29th U.S. ambassador to the United Nations from January 2017 to December 2018. A Republican, Haley is the first Indian American to serve in a presidential cabinet. She came in second in the 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries after Donald Trump.
In Their Own Words (5)
People matter. Their stories matter.
Introduction , 2022
Anything Joe Biden signs will all but guarantee that Iran gets the bomb. No deal is better than a bad deal. And if this president signs any sort of deal, I’ll make you a promise. The next president will shred it on her first day in office. Just saying, sometimes it takes a woman.
Remarks at Christians United For Israel summit, as quoted in "Nikki Haley hints at 2024 White House bid: 'Sometimes it takes a woman'" The Hill (July 18, 2022) , 2022
Sometimes it seems like we live in a zero-sum game, where one person’s success detracts from another person’s. Or we think we can only be successful by trampling on other people on our way to the top. Or that being great demands a certain isolation or mean streak. That’s simply not true. We are so much stronger when we join together with others. We are so much better off when we use our personal success to help others succeed.
Ch. 10 : Amelia Earhart : If You’re Going to Do Something, Do It Well , 2022
When I focused on the profiles in this book, I didn’t research if the women were Republican or Democrat. I didn’t know which president they voted for. What I know is they inspired me. They inspired me because they were above the noise. They each had one life and were determined to make the most of it. How amazing is that? They knew they were meant for great things, and they chased them until they fulfilled their purpose.
Conclusion , 2022
With all due respect, I don't get confused.
Haley fires back at White House: 'I don't get confused'", The Hill (April 17, 2018). , 2018
Timeline
The story of Nikki Haley, told in moments.
Born Nimarata Nikki Randhawa in Bamberg, South Carolina. Her parents were Sikh immigrants from Punjab, India. She worked in her mother's clothing business as a teenager.
Elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives at 32. She unseated a long-term incumbent.
Sworn in as Governor of South Carolina. She was the first Indian American and first woman to hold the office.
Served as US Ambassador to the United Nations under President Trump. She resigned in October 2018.
Ran for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Won Vermont and Washington, D.C. Dropped out in March 2024 after falling behind Trump in the primaries.
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