Haley joined her family's clothing business before serving as treasurer and then president of the National Association of Women Business Owners. She was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in and served three terms.
She was elected governor of South Carolina in , making her the state's first female governor and the second U. During her time as governor, she received national attention for leading the state's response to the Charleston church shooting. In January , Haley became the U. She stepped down as ambassador on December 31, Haley announced her campaign for President of the United States in February She became first female Republican presidential candidate to win a presidential primary after her victory in the Washington DC primary.
Stern Chair. She founded a successful women's boutique, Exotica International, where she began to work full time. The business expanded to menswear in , with The Gentlemen's Quarters, and both stores remained open until Raj retired in Haley has two brothers and a sister. After graduating from college, Haley worked for FCR Corporation, a waste management and recycling company , before joining her family's clothing business as its bookkeeper [ 39 ] and chief financial officer.
In , she was named to the board of directors of the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce. She was named to the board of directors of the Lexington Chamber of Commerce in Haley became treasurer of the National Association of Women Business Owners in , and president in Haley chaired the Lexington Gala to raise funds for a local hospital. She ran in the Republican primary on a platform of education reform and property tax relief.
In the primary election, Koon received 42 percent of the vote, Haley received 40 percent, and David Perry received 17 percent. Haley became the first Indian-American to hold office in South Carolina.
