Governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina to deliver Republican Address following State of the Union

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced that Gov. Nikki Haley (R-SC) will deliver the Republican Address to the Nation following the State of the Union onTuesday, January 12, 2016.“Nikki Haley has led an economic turnaround and set a bold agenda for her state, getting things done and becoming one of the most popular governors in America,” Speaker Ryan said. “In a year when the country is crying out for a positive vision and alternative to the status quo, Governor Haley is the exact right choice to deliver the Republican Address to the Nation.”“Nikki Haley is a proven leader and committed reformer who  believes deeply in the promise of the country we all share,” Sen. McConnell said. “Not only has Governor Haley fought to bring opportunity and prosperity to the people of her state, but she’s also demonstrated how bringing people together can bring real results. Governor Haley knows the American Dream and wants to see every American share in it, and we’re pleased that she will be delivering this year’s Republican Address‎.”

“I was honored to be asked by Speaker Ryan and Senator McConnell to deliver the Republican address to the nation,” Gov. Haley said. “This is a time of great challenges for our country, but also of great opportunities.  I intend to speak about both.”

About Gov. Haley. Governor Nikki Haley, the 116th Governor of South Carolina, is the first female and the first minority governor in South Carolina history and currently the youngest governor in the country.  She was reelected to a second term in November 2014.

Nikki Haley has delivered results to the people of South Carolina. Under her leadership, South Carolina’s jobless rate hit record lows, the state announced more than 73,000 jobs in 45 of 46 counties, more than 25,000 South Carolinians moved from welfare to work, and the state made its largest infrastructure investment in a generation without raising taxes. Governor Haley brought together leaders of both political parties, educators and the business community to pass landmark education reforms. She has also increased transparency and accountability to state government, and delivered tax relief for small businesses, pension reform, and Medicaid reform.

Born in Bamberg, the daughter of Indian immigrants, Governor Haley’s first job was keeping the books for her family’s clothing store – at the age of 13. She went on to graduate from Clemson University with a B.S. degree in accounting. Governor Haley and her husband Michael, a Captain in the Army National Guard and combat veteran who was deployed to Afghanistan’s Helmand Province, attend Mt. Horeb United Methodist Church in Lexington. The Haleys have two children, Rena, 17, and Nalin, 14. Learn more by visiting her official website or by following her on Facebook and Twitter.

NOTE: The Republican Address to the Nation will be live streamed at http://gop.gov/SOTU.