Nikki Randhawa-Haley (Photo: Courtesy, www.nikkihaley.com)

Nikki Randhawa-Haley is all set to become the next representative from the 87th district of South Carolina after she secured a comfortable victory in the Republican primaries against Larry Koon in the run off on June 22.

According to official results for South Carolina State House of Representatives District 87, Haley secured 2,928 votes (54.69 percent), while Koon got 2,426 votes (45.31 percent), registering a 502-vote victory margin.

The run off was necessitated after no candidate secured over 50 percent of the votes in the primaries held on June 8. Haley had secured 2, percent) and Koon, 2,354 votes (42.27percent). The third candidate in the primaries, David A. Perry, got 968 votes (17.38 percent).

Almost 95 percent of the 22,000 voters in the 87th District are Republican, and with the Democratic Party holding no primaries, Haley is sure to be elected to the State Assembly.

When asked if there is the possibility of any other candidate coming into the picture, Haley told News India-Times that the deadline for filing in the November election is past. “Officially, I will be sworn in in January, but the media has already declared me the next representative.”

Asked about her priorities, Haley said: “I just want to continue to campaign, to be visible to be with the people. I will look to tackle the problems in January. South Carolina faces a huge budgetary problem. There has been a lot of turnover. There will be a shift in the way the state house is run.”

Haley, 32, is a Sikh married to Michael Haley. They have two children, Nalin and Rena. Born in Bamberg, S.C., the Haleys live in Lexington County where she is chief financial officer of Exotica Inc.

Koon, 60, the current longest-serving member of the State House of Representatives, was first elected in 1974.

Haley entered the race after rumors that Koon was retiring. However, Koon filed his papers before the deadline on the premise that the state’s budget problems convinced him to run again.

Haley ran her election campaign on the issues of need for business-like attitude and pro-active stances on major issues.

“When you own a small business there is a sense of urgency and purpose in the way you run it. You don’t wait for problems to arise. You try to fix them before they happen. The Statehouse should do the same. If we run our state like a business, with that same urgency, then we can get South Carolina back on the right track,” her Web site said.

Haley has pressed for a proactive stance to address the issues of traffic, teacher to student ratios, and urban sprawl.

“I will propose a bold initiative placing priority status on regions experiencing rapid growth. These ‘Growth Zones’ will receive immediate attention and resources for roads, schools and public safety departments. With proper planning we will ensure responsible growth for our region,” she said.