Nikki Haley announced on Sunday that her father, Ajit Singh Randhawa, had passed away.
The announcement comes as the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom celebrate Father’s Day on the third Sunday in June.
“This morning I had to say goodbye to the smartest, kindest, most generous and respectful man I know,” Haley wrote in a post on X, sharing a photo of her announcing her presidential run in February 2023 at a campaign event in her home state of South Carolina.
“My heart is heavy to learn of my father’s passing,” Haley continued Sunday. “He taught his children the values of faith, hard work and tolerance. He was a wonderful husband for 64 years, a loving grandfather and great-grandfather and the best father to his four children. He was truly a blessing to all of us. Happy Father’s Day, Dad. We will miss you dearly.”
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Nikki Haley embraces her father, Ajit Singh Randhawa, during a campaign event announcing her presidential candidacy at the Charleston Visitors Center on February 15, 2023 in Charleston, South Carolina. (LOGAN CYRUS/AFP via Getty Images)
The former US ambassador to the United Nations did not disclose the father’s age or cause of death in his post.
Haley was the last Republican primary candidate to drop out of the 2024 presidential race, eventually dropping out in March, giving former President Trump a clearer path forward.
Haley took a break from campaigning in January to visit her father in a hospital in South Carolina, where he was reportedly suffering from an unknown type of cancer, according to Politico.
Nikki Haley speaks to reporters at a news conference in Sderot, Israel, Monday, May 27, 2024. (Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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According to Politico, Randhawa, a native of the Punjab region of India, moved to Canada to earn his doctorate at the University of British Columbia, then moved to South Carolina in 1969 to teach at Voorhees College.
Nikki Haley met with Tali Binah, a survivor of a Hamas attack, during a visit to the Nova festival in Reims, Israel on May 27, 2024. (Amir Levy/Getty Images)
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Haley, who would later become governor, was born three years later.
