Who Is Nikki Haley? Age, Birthplace, Career, Background and More Before First 2024 GOP Debate

Nikki Haley has been on a political rise since she unseated an incumbent during her first election in 2004, when she won a seat on the South Carolina House of Representatives.

She later became the first non white male to become governor of South Carolina. And although she was a critic of former President Donald Trump, she was his first appointee as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

Haley eventually supported Trump and his administration. Now she’s running against him and a field of others in the 2024 Republican primary. Haley is hoping to become the first woman to win the GOP nomination. She’ll join other contenders (sans Trump) for a two-hour debate Wednesday night.

The debate on Fox News will begin at 9 p.m. ET, with network hosts Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum moderating.

Let’s meet GOP candidate Nikki Haley.

Who is Nikki Haley?

Nikki Haley is a lifelong South Carolina resident who graduated from Clemson University. Her parents emigrated from India to Canada in the 1960s and moved to South Carolina in 1969.

Haley was 12-years-old when she began helping out with bookkeeping at her mother’s clothing store. She graduated from Orangeburg Preparatory School in 1989 and from Clemson in 1994. 

After graduating from Clemson, she worked at a waste management and recycling company before leaving to become the bookkeeper and chief financial officer at the family’s clothing store. She served on the board of directors for two separate chambers of commerce and was a member of the National Association of Women Business Owners, where she became its treasurer in 2003 and then its president in 2004.

In 2004, Haley ran for the South Carolina House of Representatives. She defeated incumbent  Larry Koon in the Republican primary and won the general election, serving that role from 2005-2011. She won the governorship in the 2010 election, serving from 2011-2017. She was the 116th governor of South Carolina.

Haley openly supported and campaigned for Marco Rubio during the 2016 Republican primary. When Rubio dropped out of the race, Haley switched her support to Ted Cruz. She was openly critical of Trump during the early phase of the primaries. When Trump won the GOP nomination in 2016, Haley said she would vote for him in the general election. Trump appointed Haley to become the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, a role she held until she resigned in 2018.

She remained supportive of the Trump administration through its tenure and referred to the former president as a “friend,” even defending him after his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden.

Although Haley said she would not make a presidential run if Trump was in the race, she announced her candidacy on February 14 this year. She is the third American Indian politician seeking a presidential nomination, following Bobby Jindal and Kamala Harris.

Haley and her husband, Michael, have two children.

What Nationality is Nikki Haley?

Nikki Haley was born Nimarata Nikki Randhawa to immigrant Sikh parents (Ajit Singh Randhawa and Raj Kaur Randhawa) from Punjab, India. She took her middle name Nikki, which means “little one” in Punjabi. 

Her nationality is American.

How Old is Nikki Haley?

Nikki Haley is 51 years old, significantly younger than Biden's 80 years and Trump's 77 years.

She was born Jan. 20, 1972. If she were to win the presidency, she would be the only person to be inaugurated on their birthday since ratification of the Twentieth Amendment in 1939, which set the presidential term to begin on that date. Haley turns 53 on Jan. 20, 2025.

What did Don Lemon Say About Nikki Haley?

In a moment that sparked outrage among viewers, when Don Lemon hosted “CNN This Morning” back in February, he said Haley was no longer "in her prime.”

Lemon later apologized for the comment that many called “sexist.”

"I'm sorry that I said it," Lemon said. "And I certainly see why people found it completely misguided."

Where Was Nikki Haley Born?

Nikki Haley was born at Bamberg County Hospital in Bamberg, South Carolina.