Nikki Haley (A New American Century)

Nimrata "Nikki" Haley (née Randhawa, January 20, 1972) is an American politician who serves as the 48th Vice President of the United States, the first woman to hold that position, as well as the highest ranking female government official in the history of the United States. A Republican, she previously served as the 116th Governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017 and is a former member of the South Carolina House of Representatives. Haley was the first female governor of South Carolina, and the second Indian-American (after Bobby Jindal) to serve as a governor in the United States.

First elected in 2004, Haley served three terms in the South Carolina House of Representatives. In 2010, during her third term as a state legislator, Haley ran for Governor of South Carolina and prevailed. She was re-elected Governor in November 2014. In 2015, Haley signed legislation allowing the removal of the Confederate flag from the State Capitol grounds. In 2016, Haley was named as one of the world's 100 most influential people by Time magazine.

In 2016, she declined to run for President, but endorsed Senator Marco Rubio over Senator Ted Cruz in the primary. It was reported in April 2016 that Haley was on a list of 15 candidates to become Rubio's vice presidential nominee. In May, the shortlist was shortened to 5, Haley's name among them, alongside Governor John Kasich, Senators Rob Portman, Rand Paul, and Joni Ernst, as well as Governor Susana Martinez of New Mexico. One week before the Republican National Convention, Marco Rubio appeared in Wisconsin to announce Haley as his Vice Presidential pick. The two went on to defeat the ticket of Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth Warren in November