Nikki Harley Parents: All About Ajit Singh and Raj Kaur Randhawa
Her parents were professors, and her mother also owned a women’s clothing boutique, where the politician worked as a bookkeeper from the age of 12.
Nikki Haley, born Nimarata Nikki Randhawa on January 20, 1972, in Bamberg, South Carolina, is an American politician and diplomat.
She served as the 116th governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017 and as the 29th U.S. ambassador to the United Nations from January 2017 to December 2018.
Nikki is the first Indian American to serve in a presidential cabinet and was a candidate in the 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries.
She is known for her traditional Republican platform, which includes tax cuts, immigration controls and abortion restrictions.
Parents
Nikki was born to immigrant Sikh parents from Amritsar, Punjab, India.
Her father, Ajit Singh Randhawa, was a professor at Punjab Agricultural University and later at Voorhees College in South Carolina.
Nikki’s mother, Raj Kaur Randhawa, received her law degree from the University of Delhi and taught for seven years in Bamberg public schools.
Her parents emigrated from India to Canada in 1964 and then to South Carolina in 1969.
Nikki has two brothers and a sister and attended Orangeburg Preparatory Schools, graduating in 1989.
She graduated from Clemson University in 1994 with a B.S. degree in accounting and finance.
Nikki has been known by her middle name, Nikki, a Punjabi name meaning “little one”, since she was born.
She worked for FCR Corporation before joining her family’s clothing business as its bookkeeper and chief financial officer.
Nikki is known for her traditional Republican platform, which includes tax cuts, immigration controls and abortion restrictions.
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Education
Nikki graduated from Orangeburg Preparatory School and earned a B.S. in accounting from Clemson University in 1994.
She worked at FCR Corporation after college before joining her family’s clothing business.
Nikki has been actively involved in various civic organizations and served on multiple boards, including the National Association of Women Business Owners.
She has received honorary degrees from Clemson University and the University of South Carolina, as well as an honorary black belt in Taekwondo.
Career
Nikki began her career in politics in the South Carolina House of Representatives, where she served from 2005 to 2010.
She then became the first female governor of South Carolina, serving from 2011 to 2017, and the first Indian American to serve in a presidential cabinet as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations from January 2017 to December 2018.
Nikki has also published two memoirs, Can’t Is Not an Option: My American Story and With All Due Respect: Defending America with Grit and Grace.
She is known for her traditional Republican platform, which includes tax cuts, immigration controls and abortion restrictions.
Nikki was a candidate in the 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries and won the Washington, D.C. primary on March 3, 2024, becoming the first woman ever to win a Republican Party presidential primary contest.
