Although South Carolina’s Lexington County State Representative Nikki Randhawa Haley announced that she is running for governor in May, I only recently came across the news; if Haley wins, she will follow in the footsteps of Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and become the second Indian American governor of the state, breaking an additional glass ceiling of becoming the first Indian American female governor.
“…To become governor, Haley will have to overcome questions about her Indian heritage and whether S.C. voters will accept a woman chief executive. During her first State House run, anonymous ads in Lexington County questioned Haley’s faith. Haley was raised a Sikh but is now a Methodist.”
Having never lived in South Carolina, I don’t know how much Haley’s race or her ties to being raised a Sikh will play into the governor’s race, but I did receive an email reply from an Indian American friend of mine who commented on Haley’s announcement: “She and Bobby Jindal have converted to Christianity. And both are Republican. Sigh.”
Yeah, kind of my thoughts as well. For a country that values freedom of religion, I personally don’t see in my lifetime a non-Christian ever winning a governorship in the South. What do you think? For those who are interested, you can learn more about Haley’s run for governor at her official campaign site here.
