South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley announced that she was endorsing Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for president on Wednesday, as voters prepare for the state’s primary on Saturday.
Haley made the announcement during an event in Chapin, South Carolina, where she said that if Rubio is elected, “everyday will be a great day in America.”
“When it was time to look at this presidential race, I thought from a different perspective,” Haley said, noting the challenges the state has faced in the last year.
Haley said she wanted to endorse a president who “would have the back of our military veterans and those in active duty,” and who is “all about term limits in D.C.”
“I wanted somebody humble enough that remembers that you work for all of the people,” Haley said. “I wanted somebody who reminded my parents that the best decision you can make is coming to America.”
Rubio came in fifth place in the New Hampshire primary on Feb. 9 with 10.6% of the vote, and third place in the Iowa Caucus on Feb. 1 with 23.1% of the vote.
While Haley did not announce who she was endorsing prior to Wednesday, she made it clear on Tuesday that she would not be endorsing business mogul Donald Trump, calling him “everything a governor doesn’t want in a president.”
Haley also said she wants someone “who is going to hold Republicans accountable,” and “who is going to make a difference, not just for our party but for every person they represent in the country.”
The State noted that Haley endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential race, and while he lost the South Carolina primary to Newt Gingrich, he went on to win the GOP nomination.
Rubio has also been endorsed by Republican politicians in South Carolina such as Sen. Tim Scott and Rep. Trey Gowdy.