Nikki Haley
Creating history on many fronts Nimrata Nikki Randhawa Haley, 38, was elected as governor of South Carolina, one of the smaller and most conservative states in the United States. She will be the first female governor in South Carolina.
Riding on a wave against the liberal policies of President Barrack Obama, and inspired and helped by the right wing Tea Party movement, led by leaders like Sarah Palin, former candidate for vice president, Haley, whose parents came from Amritsar in the 60s, trounced her Democratic opponent state Senator Vincent Sheheen.
She secured a total of 525,962 votes while her opponent managed 472,889 votes
It was a night of celebration for the Indian community in the US, which has a history of less than half a century as well as a number of less than one percent of the US population.
Yet, with the election of Haley, two of the members from the community became governors, two years ago Bobby Jindal in Louisiana and now Haley, both Republicans.
Though a smear campaign to tarnish her image on many fronts continued for long, people came forward to vote for Haley, who travelled through the state propagating her ideas.
The fresh look and voice as also the new ideas of somebody who was not a political insider in Columbia, the capital of the state, appealed the people.
She stood for the conservative values of less government, more liberty, family values, education and job creation, to a state where poverty still exists and opportunities are rare.
It was also a night for the South Carolina women, as a woman won as governor for the first time. The state has rarely elected a woman to state-wide offices and never elected a woman as governor.
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