Nikki Haley, South Carolina Governor, Rules Out Republican VP Nomination, May Run In 2016

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley says she will turn down any offer to be Mitt Romney's running mate if he wins the Republican nomination.

I'd say, 'Thank you, but no,' she said. I made a promise to the people of this state. And I think that promise matters. And I intend to keep it.

Haley, elected in 2010, pledged to complete her term as governor through 2014.

The people of South Carolina gave me a chance. I have a job to do and I'm not going to leave my job for anything, she told ABC News' Nightline. This is what I want to do. ... So do I want to think about anything in the future? No.

Haley is South Carolina's first female and minority governor. The Indian-American was elected with significant Tea Party support in her state and the backing of Sarah Palin.

I think it says a lot about the people of South Carolina that they would elect a 38-year-old Indian-American female for governor, she said of her election on The Colbert Report. It says that South Carolina has changed and it's progressing.

University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato told The Post and The Courier that selecting Haley for VP would be a surprise, despite initial interest.

Haley is not especially popular in the state, and her short stint in high office would look like Sarah Palin all over again, he said. The governor, who has clashed with her own party in the Legislature, has an approval rating hovering around 35 percent.

Her time in office hasn't been without its ups and downs.

The South Carolina Legislature has undermined some of her key proposals. Two men came forward and alleged they both had affairs with the married governor.

Her endorsement for the 2012 Republican primary in her state was highly coveted but proved to be meaningless. She endorsed Mitt Romney; Newt Gingrich won by 40 percent.

The vice presidency question popped up while Haley was doing press for her new book. She said she wrote her memoir, Can't Is Not an Option, to be an inspiration to those who have political aspirations.

This story is about a lot of challenges, but it's about so many more successes, she told the Associated Press. The image of the state is changing, and I'm proud of that.

Though she has ruled out a run for vice presidency in 2012, a presidential race for 2016 is still open.

I don't know -- I mean life has surprised me constantly, she told Nightline. But that's not anything I can imagine.