Gov. Nikki Haley delivered what was likely her final State of the State Address Wednesday night, where she thanked residents of South Carolina for their service during the two terms she served.
“The true delight of this job comes not from the influence or authority or pageantry of the office that I hold but from the people that I serve,” Haley said.
The speech was held a week early because she will be leaving to go through a confirmation process for her nomination by President-elect Donald Trump to join the Senate as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
The main points Haley addressed were the ones she remembers most about her time as governor including requiring legislators to have transparency of their votes on record, show who pays them and not police themselves. She also altered the structure of the state government.
“I will remember that we got our fiscal house in order, and that during my time in office, no Cabinet agency ran a deficit, all while we cut taxes, doubled our reserves, and reduced our debt service by half,” Haley said.
As far as residents she remembers how South Carolinians dealt with the removal of the confederate flag from the State House, the Emanuel AME shooting and Hurricane Matthew.
Haley discussed the importance of showing those not from South Carolina its bright future.
“We are so much more than the punchline of a late night joke. We always have been,” Haley said.
Haley mentioned the areas where she believes the state needs the most work which were education and the economy.
Haley is expected to be succeeded by Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster.
“As I move into this new capacity, it is the lessons I learned from this state and its people, starting all the way back when I was a young Indian girl in small, rural Bamberg who spent her time playing tennis and dreaming big, that I will take with me,” Haley said.