Nikki Haley and her husband, Michael, have been married for 26 years. Here's a timeline of their relationship.
The couple met during Nikki's first weekend at Clemson when she was 17 and Michael was 19, The Herald reported.
College friends told Politico in a 2021 profile that Nikki's parents initially did not approve of her boyfriend, and that it was Nikki who decided that he should go by his middle name, Michael, instead of his first name, Bill.
They held two wedding ceremonies, one Sikh and one Methodist.
"I was born and raised with the Sikh faith, my husband and I were married in the Methodist Church, our children have been baptized in the Methodist Church, and currently we attend both," she told The New York Times in 2010.
Rena graduated from Clemson University in 2021, where she majored in nursing and minored in psychology, according to her LinkedIn profile. She now works as a pediatric nurse in South Carolina.
In July, Rena got engaged to longtime boyfriend Joshua Jackson, whom she met at Clemson.
"He asked…She said yes! And just like that, we have another son. So proud and happy for both of them," Nikki wrote on Twitter.
Nalin is currently a junior at Villanova University.
Nikki posted on Twitter about helping her son move into his dorm for his sophomore year in 2021.
"Prayers that this year is better than the last Covid year," she wrote. "His class missed out on their high school senior year and freshman college year in so many ways. So proud of him but miss him already. Have a great year Nalin. We love you."
Nikki unseated Larry Koon, who was the longest-serving legislator in South Carolina at the time, according to Greenville News.
She served three terms as a state representative until she ran for governor in 2010.
Nikki was the first woman to serve as governor of the state.
"On this special day, I want to thank Michael and my two sweet children for the unconditional love and support they continue to show me," she said in her inaugural address. "We as a family are honored to serve this great state."
Michael joined the National Guard in 2006, but he was not deployed overseas until 2013. His unit, the Agribusiness Development Team, worked to help support local farmers in Afghanistan with growing crops to sustain their communities.
While he was deployed, Nikki and Michael communicated mostly by email, the Associated Press reported.
"There's a lot lost in translation," Michael said. "You don't get the emotion, the humor you get in one-on-one communication on the telephone or physically being there."
Michael arrived home just in time for Christmas.
"Seeing him, I felt like I took my first breath in a year," Nikki told the Associated Press.
On the 10-day tour, Nikki met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and spoke to business leaders about investing in South Carolina.
"I see opportunity here. Our government structures are the same. We want to be here. I want Indian companies investing in South Carolina," Nikki said at an event with the Confederation of Indian Industry, The Economic Times reported.
Nikki once again thanked her husband and children in her inaugural address.
"They understand that we are a family of service," she said. "Service always brings with it some level of sacrifice, but it is my family and their love of South Carolina that motivates me."
Despite public disagreements and tensions with Trump during the 2016 campaign, Nikki Haley accepted a position in his Cabinet, resigning as governor of South Carolina to serve as UN ambassador. She and her husband, son, and dog Bentley moved to a New York City apartment near the UN (Rena had already moved to the dorms of Clemson University).
"Certainly living in a city like this is very different, but we've all adjusted very well and my son loves it," Nikki told "Today" in March 2017. "He's decided he's a city boy and Bentley has gotten used to the fact that there's no grass. It's been great."
The Haleys closed on a home on Kiawah Island in South Carolina.
"South Carolina has always been home for the Haleys, and they couldn't be more excited to return back to their family and friends in the Palmetto State," her spokesperson Chaney Denton told the Associated Press.
"Thankful for 26 years of good times, challenging times, fun times, and sweet times with my best friend," Nikki wrote on Twitter. "Now going into a new season of growth for our kids, a wedding, and empty nesting. Here's to the next #26 I love you Michael."
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