HispanicBusiness

Gov. Nikki Haley will travel to the Washington, D.C., area today to introduce 2012 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney at the Conservative Political Action Conference, her office said.

Haley backed the former Massachusetts governor last year in the S.C. GOP presidential primary, which was won by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Haley also was a Romney surrogate on the campaign trail and spoke at the Republican National Convention, where he formally accepted the GOP's nomination.

This is Haley's first visit to the CPAC conference, which draws many top Republicans.

The first-term governor from Lexington was not planning to attend the annual rally of conservatives, but Romney asked Haley to introduce him, her office said. This will be Romney's first major speech since losing to President Barack Obama in November.

Haley is among 23 Republicans listed in a 2016 GOP presidential straw poll at CPAC, according to CNN.

She has not talked publicly about running for the White House and is expected to seek a second term as governor in 2014.