Not thinking of higher office, says Haley.
By The American Bazaar Staff
WASHINGTON, DC: South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who got re-elected with a massive margin, will lead a trade mission to India in hopes of persuading companies to bring jobs to the state.
Haley nee Nimrata Randhawa, leaves Tuesday for a 10-day mission trip involving the state’s commerce and tourism agencies, reported the Associated Press. She is slated to attend more than 40 of the delegation’s 90 scheduled meetings and events.
It marks Haley’s first visit to India since she was two years old. Her parents emigrated from Punjab, India in the 1960s, before Haley was born in rural South Carolina.
Commerce Director Bobby Hitt says there’s a lot of excitement about Haley’s arrival, and her stature in India should help open doors. Haley is the first woman of Indian heritage to become governor of a U.S. state. The first Indian American governor is Bobby Jindal, the governor of Louisiana.
The State reported that Haley says her 15-point re-election win on Tuesday – three times larger than her victory margin in 2010 – was the result of her economic development push.
“We changed the tone of South Carolina,” Haley said in her first news conference since winning a second term. “We showed a very strong, positive approach. I think we sold South Carolina like we never had.”
On asked about her chances of higher office or, even, becoming vice president, Haley responded: “I can honestly say with the upmost sincerity, I don’t think about it. My focus is really on this first year. It’s on this India (trade mission) that I have to take next week, trying to bring jobs back.”
She added: “I have said this entire time that I love South Carolina. I love my job. I’m going to continue to focus on everything I’m doing in South Carolina, no matter how many times you all talk about (my future).”