South Carolina ? A GOP lawmaker hoping to be the state’s first female governor is getting publicity for all the wrong reasons.

First a political blogger said he and Rep. Nikki Haley had an inappropriate physical relationship when he worked for her in 2007. Then a lobbyist said he had a one-night stand with her in a Salt Lake City hotel room during a school choice conference.

On Thursday, state Sen. Jake Knotts used an ethnic slur to refer to Haley, whose parents immigrated from India.

“We’ve got a raghead in Washington, we don’t need a raghead in the Statehouse,” Knotts said on an Internet political talk show. He later apologized, saying the remarks were meant as a joke.

Haley, who was born a Sikh and describes herself as a Methodist, called it another shameful attack. It’s not clear if the flaps are damaging the tea party favorite, who has been endorsed by former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.