Nimrata Haley (née Randhawa, January 20, 1972), known as Nikki Haley, is an American diplomat, businesswoman, author, and politician. A Republican, Haley is a former South Carolina state legislator, a former governor of South Carolina, and a former United States Ambassador to the United Nations. She is the first woman to have served as governor of South Carolina and is the second Indian-American (after fellow Republican Bobby Jindal of Louisiana) to have served as a governor in the United States. First elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 2004, Haley served three terms in the House.