The poll by Winthrop University shows Haley, born Nimrata 'Nikki' Randhawa, daughter of Sikh immigrant parents from Punjab, with a 43.6 per cent to 33.6 per cent margin, ABC News reported.
Attorney and former judge Tom Ervin is a distant third with 3.9 per cent of the votes while 23.4 per cent of the total 1,082 likely voters, who participated in the poll, are still undecided.
Haley is riding high on the strong performance of South Carolina's economy with more than half of the voters surveyed saying they are fairly pleased with the state's economy.
Haley is the first woman to serve as Governor of South Carolina and at the age of 42, she is the youngest current Governor in the US.
She is one of two sitting Indian-American Governors in the US, the other being Republican Bobby Jindal of Louisiana.
The voters also gave President Barack Obama a 28 per cent approval rating, which according to the poll lags behind Obama's national approval, and the Congress a still lower 12.7 per cent approval rating.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
