Who is Nikki Haley?

Haley calls herself a strong fiscal conservative who champions transparency and accountability in state government. She is active in the Republican Governors Association, currently headed by Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin.

Haley led South Carolina through one of its most difficult periods in 2015, when a self-proclaimed white supremacist entered a Charleston church on June 17, joined a Bible study and then shot nine African-American church members in an apparent hate crime.

Haley ordered the Confederate flag, considered by many a divisive symbol of the Civil War era, removed from the statehouse grounds. “I hope that, by removing the flag, we can take another step towards healing and recognition — and a sign that South Carolina is moving forward,” she said at the time.

Her first job was keeping the books for her family’s clothing store at the age of 13. She earned an accounting degree at Clemson University.

Haley is savvy about social media. She is known in South Carolina for her regular and often personal Facebook posts. One 2013 post quickly gained national attention:

“What not to do … getting locked out of the Governor’s mansion in your robe while sending the kids off to school. sigh…#adayinthelife.”

Her husband, Michael, is a captain in the Army National Guard and a combat veteran who was deployed to Afghanistan.