Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley spoke to voters and had a bite to eat at the Hometown Diner in Rindge Thursday as part of a multi-day tour of New Hampshire.

Haley announced her intention to run for president in February, making her among the first to officially declare her candidacy for the Republican nomination. Her political experience includes serving as the 116th governor of South Carolina, a position she held from 2011 until 2017. Prior to her governorship, she served three terms in the South Carolina House of Representatives. Most recently, she spent two years as the United States’ ambassador for the United Nations in 2017 and 2018 under former President Donald Trump.

Haley touched on subjects ranging from the national debt, crime and illegal immigration to the need for fresh perspectives in the White House in her speech and while answering questions from residents.

When asked how she stood out from Trump, the Republican front-runner, and not-yet-declared but likely candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Haley said the country is ready for new leadership, but that she also carries valuable experience into the job.

“What I'm saying is we need a new generation of leaders. I'm saying I've been a two-term governor that took a double-digit unemployment state and turned it into an economic powerhouse. When I was at the U.N., I didn't deal with one country, I dealt with 193,” Haley said. “We need a president that's going to come in, know how to do domestic policy, know how to do foreign policy and make America strong and proud again, and get us back on focus. That's what I'll do.“

Haley said the Republican Party needs a candidate who could win a general election against President Joe Biden, who officially declared his run for re-election last week.

“The key is we have to elect someone who can win a general election, and the only way to do that is to get a new generation in. It has to happen. And so we're going to do the hard work to make it happen,” Haley said.

On issues, Haley spoke of visiting the Mexican border and the need for a tougher stance on illegal immigration. She spoke in favor of extending Title 42, a public health order issued under the Trump administration to allow border authorities to expel migrants without processing them for asylum, based on COVID-19 grounds.

Haley also said the United States needs to take a “catch-and-deport” stance on people caught crossing the border, rather than processing and releasing people to wait for court dates, and needs to defund “sanctuary cities,” which are communities with policies that tend to protect undocumented people from deportation or prosecution by not reporting the immigration status of individuals unless they are involved in a serious crime.

Haley has also advocated for a mental competency check for politicians over the age of 75. When asked whether that conflicted with state and federal constitutional requirements to run for offices, Haley said the results of the check didn’t have to preclude someone from being elected, but compared it to tax returns or other disclosures made by candidates, which their constituents could then use to make an informed decision. She denied it was a specific shot at Biden, saying that she thought it should be applied to all lawmakers.

“I'm fine if you do it for 50 and up. People who are making decisions for our national security, our economic policy, on our children's future, we need to know they're at the top of their game,” said Haley, who is 51.

When asked about gun control or the need for a mental health check before purchasing a gun, Haley said the root of the issue of mass gun violence isn’t in limiting gun purchases, but addressing the mental health system.

“You can't go and take away someone's guns, as long as you know the bad guys are going to be able to get guns, too,” Haley said. “The bigger issue, the harder issue is that we have a cancer in America that's never been dealt with, and that's mental health. One in four people have a mental health issue, but if treated, they can live a perfectly normal life. We need to make sure we're actually addressing the mental health issue.”

Haley said gun restrictions were a “lazy, easy” approach to the larger issue.

“The harder fix is, let's acknowledge there's a mental health issue, let's acknowledge we don't have enough mental health therapists, insurance doesn't cover it, and medicine is too expensive. Until we deal with those issues, we're going to continue to have a lot of mental health issues out there,” Haley said.

Among those who came to hear Haley speak, Jeff Selander of Rindge said the average American is struggling to make ends meet and provide for their families, and the economy needs a turnaround.

“I believe Nikki Haley is the right person to be on point to address these issues,” Selander said. “We have to meet in the middle and solve the core value issues that hurt the everyday American.”

David Alcorta of Rindge, who said he was a moderate Republican, said the country needs a change, and that he and his wife respected and admired Haley’s past experience.

“Her track record is flawless,” Alcorta said. “It would be a far, far better world if everyone was like Nikki Haley. There are no surprises with her.”

Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.

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