Nikki Haley, the former U.S. governor of South Carolina, has announced she is running for president in 2024 as a Republican primary candidate.

She previously served as the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

The 51-year-old Haley will challenge her former boss President Donald Trump, who is 76.

Who is Nikki Haley?

Nikki Haley was born Nimrata Nikki Randhawa to Punjabi Sikh parents, who emigrated from India to South Carolina before her birth. She is the first woman of color to run for the Republican Party presidential nomination.

A graduate of Clemson University, Haley worked in the private sector before beginning her political career in 2004, when she ran for the South Carolina House of Representatives.

Haley was elected three times and then elected governor in 2010. She won reelection in 2014. She served in the Trump Administration as U.S. Ambassador to the UN from 2017 to 2018 before resigning. At the time, Trump said Haley had done “an incredible job.”

Political Stance

Haley was a bit of a wild card in the Trump administration, as she initially supported his Republican opponents Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz during the 2016 primaries.

Following her criticism of Trump, Haley put her support behind the future President and would do so once again in 2020.

While Trump and Haley are both Republicans, they do have their differences.

Haley came out against Trump’s attempt to ban Muslims from entering the United States, saying she did not believe “…we should ever ban anyone based on their religion,” while adding that such a move would be “un-American.”

On the domestic front, Haley described herself as pro-life during her tenure as South Carolina governor, while also pushing for lower taxes.

Internationally, Haley was staunchly opposed to the Iranian government and its nuclear program, as the country was referenced several times in her UN speeches.

In addition to her strong stance against Iran, she has condemned the Russian military operation in Ukraine, while calling for more aid to the war-torn country.

Haley is also an ardent supporter of Israel. During her tenure as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Haley came to the defense of Israel on several occasions and also applauded Trump’s decision to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Presidential Chance?

Political observers say the former South Carolina governor will face an uphill climb against Trump and potential Republican candidate Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

South Carolina is one of the early battlegrounds for the Republican presidential primary. Haley could face a challenge from South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, who has yet to announce whether he’s running for president.

Political analysts say Haley could potentially hurt DeSantis by taking some of the important anti-Trump Republican votes, which will be crucial during the presidential primaries.

Since 1980, the winner of the South Carolina Republican presidential primary has gone on to win the party’s nomination in every election except one.