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| South Carolina governor Nikki Haley to endorse Rubio for president | South Carolina governor Nikki Haley to endorse Rubio for president |
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| Governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina will endorse Marco Rubio for president, it was reported on Wednesday, lending a major boost to the Florida senator’s campaign just days before the Republican primary in the state. | Governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina will endorse Marco Rubio for president, it was reported on Wednesday, lending a major boost to the Florida senator’s campaign just days before the Republican primary in the state. |
| Two of South Carolina’s largest newspapers – the Post and Courier and the State – first reported the endorsement. Haley will appear alongside Rubio at an evening campaign event in Chapin, his campaign confirmed. | Two of South Carolina’s largest newspapers – the Post and Courier and the State – first reported the endorsement. Haley will appear alongside Rubio at an evening campaign event in Chapin, his campaign confirmed. |
| Haley will become the third influential South Carolina official to back Rubio. The senator already has the support of Senator Tim Scott and Congressman Trey Gowdy, two popular lawmakers in the state. | Haley will become the third influential South Carolina official to back Rubio. The senator already has the support of Senator Tim Scott and Congressman Trey Gowdy, two popular lawmakers in the state. |
| Related: South Carolina's Nikki Haley endorses Rubio ahead of state primary – live | Related: South Carolina's Nikki Haley endorses Rubio ahead of state primary – live |
| Haley’s endorsement has long been sought after by Republican candidates. Although her endorsement of Mitt Romney in 2012 did not help him to secure a victory in South Carolina, Haley has risen significantly in stature since then. | Haley’s endorsement has long been sought after by Republican candidates. Although her endorsement of Mitt Romney in 2012 did not help him to secure a victory in South Carolina, Haley has risen significantly in stature since then. |
| Haley holds an 81% approval rating in South Carolina. | Haley holds an 81% approval rating in South Carolina. |
| Haley, the second Indian American to be elected governor and first woman to hold the post in South Carolina, resurfaced on the national scene last year after the racially motivated church shooting in Charleston. | Haley, the second Indian American to be elected governor and first woman to hold the post in South Carolina, resurfaced on the national scene last year after the racially motivated church shooting in Charleston. |
| She was widely praised for her response, which included swift action to remove the Confederate flag from the grounds of the state capitol. | She was widely praised for her response, which included swift action to remove the Confederate flag from the grounds of the state capitol. |
| She also delivered the Republican response to this year’s State of the Union address, earning accolades for speaking out against the sharp anti-immigrant rhetoric that has taken hold of the GOP primary. | She also delivered the Republican response to this year’s State of the Union address, earning accolades for speaking out against the sharp anti-immigrant rhetoric that has taken hold of the GOP primary. |
| Rubio has lavished Haley with praise both on the campaign trail and in appearances with the media, particularly for how she handled the Emanuel AME church massacre. | Rubio has lavished Haley with praise both on the campaign trail and in appearances with the media, particularly for how she handled the Emanuel AME church massacre. |
| “I would love her endorsement,” Rubio said during a lunch with reporters on Tuesday. | “I would love her endorsement,” Rubio said during a lunch with reporters on Tuesday. |
| “She’s very well respected in the state and she’s very valuable to anyone nationally. She’s not just someone that can help you in South Carolina, she can help a candidate all over the country.” | “She’s very well respected in the state and she’s very valuable to anyone nationally. She’s not just someone that can help you in South Carolina, she can help a candidate all over the country.” |
| “She also embodies and exemplifies what I want the Republican party to be known as in the 21st century – vibrant, reform-oriented, optimistic, and upwardly mobile,” he added. | “She also embodies and exemplifies what I want the Republican party to be known as in the 21st century – vibrant, reform-oriented, optimistic, and upwardly mobile,” he added. |
| Haley’s name was floated as a top pick for vice president in 2012, but she publicly took herself out of the running at the time, saying she wanted to focus on her job as governor. | |
| Rubio told reporters on Monday that Haley would be on the shortlist for a prime role in any Republican nominee’s ticket. | |
| “She would be at the top of the list for various things - from vice president to cabinet,” he said. | |
| Earlier on Wednesday, Jeb Bush told NBC News her endorsement “would be the most powerful, meaningful one in the state”. The former Florida governor was also thought to be on Haley’s shortlist, but is grappling with a campaign that has struggled to get off the ground. | Earlier on Wednesday, Jeb Bush told NBC News her endorsement “would be the most powerful, meaningful one in the state”. The former Florida governor was also thought to be on Haley’s shortlist, but is grappling with a campaign that has struggled to get off the ground. |