Washington: Nikky Haley in February announced she is running for President, becoming the third Indian American to seek the highest political office in the US.

Haley, born Nimrata ‘Nikki’ Randhawa, announced her bid in a video message in which she touts her unique upbringing as an Indian American, which made her acutely conscious and representative of America’s diversity. She speaks about her achievements as South Carolina Governor and foreign policy chops earned as Ambassador to the UN, where she showed she cannot put up with bullies -- essentially China and Russia -- and that she can kick back, which can be painful because of her high heels.

Haley has been a rising star in the Republican Party and long expected to run for the White House. She is a former two-term Governor of South Carolina, one of America’s most conservative states, and former Ambassador to the United Nations, a cabinet-rank position she held in the administration of then President Donald Trump.

Trump is also running and Haley is going up against her former boss. They will clash in the Republican primaries, which are expected to grow with more candidates, including the most highly anticipated of them all, Ron DeSantis, the two-term Florida Governor.

Haley is the third Indian American to seek the Week House, following Bobby Jindal in 2015-16 and Kamala Harris in 2019-20. Jindal, of course, did not survive the Republican primaries, which were won by Trump. Harris also did last the Democratic primaries, but went on to become the first Indian American to become Vice President, a position that brings her just a breath from the presidency.

Some in the Indian American community have war-gamed a scenario in which Haley wins the Republican primary and Harris wins the Democratic primaries that could and will happen if President Joe Biden decides not to seek a second term.