--- title: State of the Union: Who Is Nikki Haley? description: The South Carolina Governor will deliver the GOP response to President Obama’s final State of the Union address. canonical: https://time.com/4177251/nikki-haley-state-union-response/ author: Katie Reilly article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-01-12T21:23:37.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T14:00:21.390Z article:section: Politics og:title: Meet the Republican Giving the State of the Union Response og:description: South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley was thrust into the national spotlight last year. og:url: https://time.com/4177251/nikki-haley-state-union-response/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt491d5eca395ee359/698878e00a4a2210bd9c7e10/nikki-haley.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 6016 og:image:height: 3384 og:image:alt: Republican Candidates Attend Heritage Action Candidate Foru og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Meet the Republican Giving the State of the Union Response twitter:description: South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley was thrust into the national spotlight last year. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt491d5eca395ee359/698878e00a4a2210bd9c7e10/nikki-haley.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Who Is Nikki Haley? Meet the Republican Giving the State of the Union Response > Sponsored content. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Jan 12, 2016 9:23 PM UTC  Nikki Haley speaks on Sept. 18, 2015 in Greenville, S.C. Nikki Haley speaks on Sept. 18, 2015 in Greenville, S.C. Sean Rayford—Getty Images  by [Katie Reilly](https://time.com/author/katie-reilly/)  ## Katie Reilly Jan 12, 2016 9:23 PM UTC South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley [will deliver the GOP response](http://time.com/4168337/south-carolina-gov-nikki-haley-will-give-republican-response-to-state-of-the-union/) to President Obama’s final State of the Union address on Tuesday night. While Obama is expected to [discuss the accomplishments of his Administration](http://time.com/4176658/barack-obama-final-state-union-analysis/)—and the White House has suggested that the [speech will be ‘non-traditional](http://time.com/4173303/watch-state-of-the-union-online/)‘—Haley said she will address the challenges facing South Carolina and the country. Here are five things to know about the rising Republican leader. **Haley is the first woman and minority governor in South Carolina’s history** As the first woman and first minority governor of South Carolina, Haley broke barriers in a Deep South state. She was first elected to the South Carolina House in 2004, beating the longest-serving Republican state legislator to become the first first Indian-American member of the South Carolina legislature. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Haley has [spoken out about the Republican party’s tone](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/09/02/gov-nikki-haley-criticizes-yell-and-scream-strategy-of-black-lives-matter-but-also-says-gop-needs-new-tone/) toward minority issues, though Democrats have criticized her for not doing enough to promote diversity and help minorities. “The problem for our party is that our approach often appears cold and unwelcoming to minorities,” Haley said in September. “That’s shameful and it has to change.” **Read More:** [_The Curse of the State of the Union Response_](http://time.com/3658355/state-of-the-union-curse/) **She removed the Confederate flag from the state capitol after the Charleston shooting** In the wake of the [shooting that killed nine worshipers](http://time.com/3926112/charleston-shooting-latest/) at the Emanuel AME church in Charleston in June, Haley orchestrated the removal of the Confederate battle flag from the state capitol grounds. The divisive symbol was the subject of an impassioned debate that began anew in South Carolina after the shooting and play out around the country. She was [praised for her leadership](http://time.com/4055728/nikki-haley-charleston-harvard-award/) in calling for the flag’s removal. **She received Tea Party support during her first gubernatorial run** She earned the support of the Tea Party during her [2010 gubernatorial run](http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1995862,00.html), championing voter frustration to defeat more established political rivals. She also received an endorsement from Sarah Palin, former vice presidential candidate to 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain. **Read More:** [_7 Interior Decorating Tips for the State of the Union Response_](http://time.com/4171544/state-of-the-union-response-photos/) **She endorsed Mitt Romney for president in 2012** Haley [endorsed Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney](http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/16/nikki-haley-endorses-mitt-romney/?%5Fr=0) just before the Iowa caucuses during the 2012 presidential race, giving him the coveted support of a conservative Republican in a state critical to his election. She has not yet endorsed a candidate in the 2016 cycle. **She is rumored to be a contender for the vice presidential nominee** Haley’s handling of the Charleston shooting propelled her into the national spotlight and reportedly onto the short-lists of vice presidential contenders. She addressed the shooting and her state’s healing process when [she spoke to Republican Party leaders before the first GOP debate](http://time.com/3987657/charleston-republican-debate-nikki-haley/) in August. At the time, she said she was looking for a presidential candidate who was genuine. In an [interview with CNN on Monday](http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/11/politics/paul-ryan-nikki-haley-state-of-the-union-obama/), House Speaker Paul Ryan said Haley is a great spokesman for the Republican party with an “extremely bright” future. “If you want to hear an inclusive leader who’s visionary, who’s got a path for the future, who’s brought people together, who’s unified, it’s Nikki Haley,” Ryan said. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4177251/nikki-haley-state-union-response/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4177251/nikki-haley-state-union-response/"},"headline":"Who Is Nikki Haley? 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