COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has handily beat Democratic state Sen. Vincent Sheheen to win a second term.
The 42-year-old daughter of Indian immigrants needed a convincing victory to further boost her image nationally. South Carolina's first minority and first female governor already is a familiar figure on the national stage.
Roughly half of the $8 million raised by her campaign came from out-of-state donors.
Haley was declared the winner around 7 p.m. based on projections from exit poll data. She ultimately wound up winning by a margin of 56-41, far more than the four percent gap she had in 2010.
Sheheen never gained the traction necessary in the rematch to close the gap, despite hammering Haley on her first-term blunders.
Haley won over voters by successfully branding herself as the "jobs governor."
