Haley Becomes South Carolina's 1st Woman Governor

Voters have elected South Carolina's first woman governor.

Tea-party backed Republican state Rep. Nikki Haley will also become the nation's second Indian-American governor when she replaces term-limited Gov. Mark Sanford. Louisiana's Bobby Jindal also is Indian-American.

She is the first American raised as a Sikh to hold the office of governor.

Haley won over state Sen. Vincent Sheheen in a contest that flipped between the candidates by the minute Tuesday night.

Haley is a three-term House member who campaigned as a political outsider and earned the backing of Sarah Palin.

The 38-year-old married mother of two beat back unproven accusations of infidelty and questions about her finances and experience.

Sheheen made the contest closer than anyone expected.