Thaindian News

Washington, Nov 4 (IANS) Nikki Haley, who created history by becoming the first woman to win the governor’s race in South Carolina state and the first Indian American woman in the country to occupy the office, says “I know what the people of this state want”.

Haley told a media conference in Lexington that she may give details of her transition team Monday.

A new website, HaleyTransition.org, has also been launched where applicants can submit resumes if they want to work in the Haley administration.

“I know what the people of this state want,” The State quoted Haley as saying.

Bob McAlister, chief of staff for late former Governor Carroll Campbell, said: “She’s earned the right to do it however she wants…She’s going to have to start out the transition with people she trusts…and branch out from there.”

Nikki Haley, the daughter of Sikh immigrant parents from Amritsar, was born Nimrata (Nikki) Randhawa.

She is America’s second Indian-American governor after Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, also a Republican, who became the first with his election three years ago.

The 38-year-old mother of two, who defeated Democrat Vincent Sheheen with a surprisingly close 51 percent-47 percent vote in the most expensive election in state history Tuesday, has already like Jindal been mentioned as a “long shot” presidential candidate for 2012.

Nikki and her husband Michael, a full time federal technician with the South Carolina National Guard and an officer in the Army National Guard, live in Lexington with their two children, Rena, 12, and Nalin, 8.

-rd