Republican Nikki Haley has been elected the first female governor of South Carolina.
(AP) -- Republican Nikki Haley, who won her party's nomination with the support of Sarah Palin and tea party activists, has been elected the first female governor of South Carolina.
Haley, a daughter of immigrants from India, is a fiscal conservative who cited her experience as an accountant on the campaign trail.
But Democratic rival Vincent Sheheen kept the race competitive as voters considered a successor for Gov. Mark Sanford.
He criticized Haley for failing to pay taxes on time. Haley, meanwhile, sought to link her Democratic rival to President Barack Obama.
Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick has been re-elected in Massachusetts, surviving a challenge from Republican businessman Charles Baker and two others.
Republican Tom Corbett captured a competitive gubernatorial race in Pennsylvania, which has seen widespread discontent over the economy and high unemployment.
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