Kristi Noem

Early life

Noem was born Kristi Lynn Arnold to Corinne and Ron Arnold on November 30, 1971 in Watertown, South Dakota, and raised with her siblings on the family ranch and farm in the nearby town of Hazel. She has Norwegian ancestry and is a descendant of Ephraim Wilson, who fought in the American Revolutionary War. when she was a senior at Hamlin High School in Hayti.

Noem attended Northern State University from 1990 to 1994 but did not graduate. In March 1994, her father was killed in a grain bin accident and Noem left college early to run the family farm. Her daughter, Kassidy, was born weeks later, on April 21, 1994. She added a hunting lodge and restaurant to the family property. Her siblings also moved back to help expand the businesses.

Noem subsequently took classes at the Watertown campus of Mount Marty College and at South Dakota State University, and online classes from the University of South Dakota. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in political science from South Dakota State University in 2012 while serving as a U.S. representative. The Washington Post dubbed her Capitol Hill's "most powerful intern" for receiving college intern credits from her position as a member of Congress.

South Dakota House of Representatives (2007–2011)

In 2006, Noem won a seat as a Republican in the South Dakota House of Representatives, representing the 6th district, comprising parts of Beadle, Clark, Codington, Hamlin, and Kingsbury counties. In 2006, she won with 39% of the vote, and received $6330 in direct contributions to her campaign. In 2008, she was reelected with 41% of the vote.

Noem served for four years, from 2007 to 2010. She was an assistant majority leader during her second term. During her tenure, Noem was the prime sponsor of 11 bills that became law, including several property tax reforms and two bills to increase gun rights in South Dakota. In 2009, she served as vice chair of the Agriculture Land Assessment Advisory Task Force. Senator Larry Rhoden chaired the task force, and later served as her lieutenant governor. During her tenure, she joined the Civil Air Patrol as a "state legislative member".

U.S. House of Representatives (2011–2019)

In 2010, Noem ran for South Dakota's at-large seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. She won the Republican primary and defeated incumbent Democrat Stephanie Herseth Sandlin in the general election. Noem was reelected three times, serving in Congress until 2019.

Tenure

The 2011 House Republican 87-member freshman class elected Noem as liaison to the House Republican leadership, making her the second woman member of the House GOP leadership. According to The Hill, her role was to push the leadership to make significant cuts to federal government spending and to help Speaker John Boehner manage the expectations of the freshman class. In March 2011, Republican Representative Pete Sessions of Texas named Noem one of the 12 regional directors for the National Republican Congressional Committee during the 2012 election campaign.

On March 8, 2011, she announced the formation of a leadership political action committee, KRISTI PAC. Former South Dakota Lieutenant Governor Steve Kirby is its treasurer. Noem was among the top freshman Republicans in PAC fundraising in the first quarter of 2011, raising $169,000 from PACs.

Abortion

Noem co-sponsored legislation that would federally ban abortion. In 2015, she co-sponsored a bill to amend the 14th Amendment to define human life and personhood as beginning at fertilization, federally banning abortion from the moment of fertilization. She also voted for a bill to ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Energy and environment

Noem denies the scientific consensus on climate change. In 2022 she said she believes "the science has been varied on it, and it hasn't been proven to me that what we're doing is affecting the climate."

Noem has said that the U.S. needs an "all-of-the-above energy approach" that includes renewables like wind and ethanol while still realizing the need for a "balanced energy mix" that ends American dependence on foreign oil.

Noem supported the Keystone XL Pipeline and supports offshore oil drilling. She co-sponsored three bills that she argued would reduce American dependence on foreign oil by ending the 2010 United States deepwater drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico and reopening sales on oil leases in the Gulf and off the coast of Virginia. In 2011, she sponsored a measure to block Environmental Protection Agency funding for tighter air pollution standards for coarse particulates.

Noem opposed a bill introduced by South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson that would designate over 48000 acre of the Buffalo Gap National Grassland as protected wilderness. She supports the designation of the land as a national grassland. She said the land is already managed as roadless areas similar to wilderness and argued that changing the land's designation to wilderness would further limit leaseholder access to the land and imperil grazing rights.

Foreign affairs

From 2013 to 2015, Noem served on the House Armed Services Committee, where she worked on the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act. Her appointment to the committee was seen as a benefit to South Dakota's Ellsworth Air Force Base. In March 2011, Noem was critical of President Barack Obama's approach to the NATO-led military intervention in the 2011 Libyan civil war, calling on him to provide more information about the U.S.'s role in the conflict, and characterizing his statements as vague and ambiguous.

Health care

Noem opposes the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and has voted to repeal it. Having unsuccessfully sought to repeal it, she sought to defund it while retaining measures such as the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, the provision allowing parents to keep their children on their health insurance plan into their 20s, and the high-risk pools. Noem wanted to add such provisions to federal law as limits on medical malpractice lawsuits and allowing patients to buy health insurance plans from other states. She supported cuts to Medicaid funding proposed by Republican Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan. A study found that this action would reduce benefits for South Dakota Medicaid recipients by 55 percent.

Immigrants and refugees

Noem supported President Donald Trump's 2017 Executive Order 13769, that suspended the U.S. refugee program for 120 days and banned all travel to the U.S. by nationals of seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days. She said she supported a temporary ban on accepting refugees from "terrorist-held" areas, but "did not address whether she supports other aspects of the order, which led to the detention of legal U.S. residents such as green-card holders, and people with dual citizenship as they reentered the country" in the aftermath of the order's issuance.

In 2019, Noem consented to South Dakota's participation in the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program following a Trump executive order that allowed state and local governments to opt out.

In-vitro fertilization and embryonic stem-cell research

In August 2010, while running for Congress, Noem responded to a questionnaire from the Christian Coalition voter guide indicating that she would vote to ban embryonic stem-cell research. In 2015, she co-sponsored legislation to amend the 14th Amendment to define human life and personhood as beginning at the moment of fertilization, without exceptions for in-vitro fertilization or embryonic stem-cell research.

Taxes

In 2017, Noem was on the conference committee that negotiated the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which she touted as giving the average South Dakota family a $1,200 tax cut.

In 2018, Noem was reported to have "pitched the idea to members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus" to attach her online sales tax bill to the government funding package as part of an omnibus. A court case under consideration in the South Dakota Supreme Court involved requiring "certain out-of-state retailers to collect its sales taxes." Noem said that South Dakota businesses (and by extension businesses nationwide) "could be forced to comply with 1,000 different tax structures nationwide without the tools necessary to do so", adding that her legislation "provides a necessary fix."

Noem has called the budget deficit one of the most important issues facing Congress. She cosponsored H. J. Res. 2, which would require that total spending for any fiscal year not exceed total receipts. She cited the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Veterans Affairs, Medicaid, high-speed rail projects, cap-and-trade technical assistance, and subsidies for the Washington Metro rapid transit system as examples of federal programs where she would like to see cuts.

In 2011, Noem indicated that she would vote to raise the federal debt ceiling, but only if "tied to budget reforms that change the way we spend our dollars and how Washington, D.C., does business. It won't just be a one-time spending cut." She ultimately voted for S. 365, The Budget Control Act of 2011, which allowed Obama to raise the debt ceiling in exchange for spending cuts to be decided by a bipartisan committee. She also said she wanted to eliminate the estate tax, lower the corporate tax rate, and simplify the tax code. She said she would not raise taxes to balance the budget.

Committee assignments

• Committee on Ways and Means
  • Subcommittee on Human Resources
  • Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures

Caucus memberships

• Republican Study Committee
• Congressional Arts Caucus
• Afterschool Caucuses
• Congressional Western Caucus

Governor of South Dakota (2019–2025)

Elections

2018

Main article: 2018 South Dakota gubernatorial election

In November 2016, Noem announced she would run for governor of South Dakota in 2018 rather than seek reelection to Congress. She defeated South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley in the June Republican primary, 56 to 44 percent, and Democratic nominee Billie Sutton in the general election, 51 to 48 percent.

2022

Main article: 2022 South Dakota gubernatorial election

In November 2021, Noem announced she was running for reelection as governor. State Representative Steven Haugaard, a Republican, announced he was running against Noem. In February 2022, House Democratic Minority Leader Jamie Smith announced he was seeking the Democratic nomination.

In the Republican primary in June, Noem defeated Haugaard, 76% to 24%. In the general election, she defeated Smith, 62% to 35%. Despite predictions of a competitive race, Noem flipped 17 counties that had previously voted Democratic and set a record for the most votes received by a candidate for governor in South Dakota.

Tenure

Noem was sworn in as governor on January 5, 2019, the first woman in that office in the state.{{multiple image

Abortion

Noem is anti-abortion. She has been lauded by the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List and said she intends to maintain her 100% anti-abortion voting record.

In 2019, Noem signed bills restricting abortion, saying they would "crack down on abortion providers in South Dakota" and that a "strong and growing body of medical research provides evidence that unborn babies can feel, think, and recognize sounds in the womb. These are people, they must be given the same basic dignities as anyone else."

Following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, South Dakota became one of the first states to enact trigger laws banning abortions. Noem defended South Dakota's abortion ban, which only allows exceptions in cases in which the mother's life is in danger. When asked about the case of the 10-year-old child abuse victim who traveled from Ohio to Indiana to receive an abortion, Noem said she would not support changing the law to allow exceptions for rape victims, explaining that she did not "believe a tragic situation should be perpetuated by another tragedy".

Noem proclaimed 2024 the "Freedom for Life Year", promoting anti-abortion laws. In April 2024, she announced that she had reversed her support for a federal ban on abortion, saying she believed abortion law should be determined at the state level, and continued to support South Dakota's law banning abortion except to save the life of the pregnant patient, without exceptions for rape or incest.

Early childhood education

Noem is a vocal opponent of subsidized child care. Her administration rejected $7.5 million in federal funding for free summer meal programs for low-income residents and defeated multiple attempts to provide school lunches for eligible students. In 2023, Noem said, "I just don't think it's the government's job to pay or to raise people's children for them".

Access to public records

While running for governor in 2018, Noem made government transparency part of her platform. In her first State of the State address she pledged to "work toward building the most transparent administration South Dakota has ever seen".

Throughout her tenure, news outlets and government transparency advocates sued Noem for failing to provide the transparency she advocated. Complaints included denial of immediate access to a state-funded report about the alleged presence of critical race theory and "divisive concepts" in South Dakota schools; denial of access to pardon records; not releasing the cost of the governor's security team; whipping votes against a bill to make public records of the cost of the governor's security; and attempts to seal records on an ethics investigation involving her daughter.

Anti-protest legislation

In response to protests against the Keystone Pipeline, Noem's office collaborated with the energy company TransCanada Corporation to develop anti-protest legislation, which Noem signed into law in 2019. The law created a fund to cover the costs of policing pipeline protests. Another law was passed to raise revenue for the fund by creating civil penalties for advising, directing, or encouraging participation in rioting. The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation banned Noem from their grounds as a result. The Indigenous Environmental Network, Sierra Club, and other groups challenged the laws in suits, arguing that they violated First Amendment rights by incentivizing the state to sue protesters. In 2020, after a federal court struck down sections of the legislation as unconstitutional, Noem brought legislation to repeal sections of the previous bill and clarify the definition of "incitement to riot".

China

Noem has called China "an enemy" of the U.S. In 2022, she issued an order banning TikTok from state-owned devices, saying the "Chinese Communist Party uses information it gathers on TikTok to manipulate the American people". In 2023, she signed an order prohibiting the downloading or use of any application or visiting of any site owned by the Chinese company Tencent, including WeChat, on state-owned devices. In 2024, she signed a bill prohibiting the governments of six countries—China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Venezuela—and entities from those countries from buying agricultural land in South Dakota.

Conflict of interest action to professionally benefit daughter

In 2020, after Noem's 26-year-old daughter, Kassidy Peters, was denied a real estate appraisal license, Noem summoned to her office Sherry Bren, a state employee who had directed South Dakota's Appraiser Certification Program for 30 years. Attendees included Peters, Noem's chief of staff Tony Venhuizen, Department of Labor Attorney Amber Mulder and Labor Secretary Marcia Hultman.

By telephone, the group was joined by the governor's general counsel, Tom Hart, and a lawyer from the state's Department of Labor and Regulation, Graham Oey. A week later, Hultman demanded Bren's resignation. Bren repeatedly, but unsuccessfully, tried to resolve the issues short of resigning, eventually filing an age discrimination complaint. She received a $200,000 settlement as part of a nondisclosure agreement to withdraw her complaint and leave her position. Noem's spokesperson characterized the allegations as an example of how Noem cut through "bureaucratic red tape".

After the Associated Press published a story about the incident, the State Senate's Government Operations and Audit Committee was delegated to investigate. In October 2021, the Committee invited Hultman and Bren to come before it to discuss the appraisal program in light of the controversy. On December 14, 2021, Bren testified before the Government Operations and Audit Committee. She said that Peters received an Agreed Disposition around March/April 2020. Around July 20, 2020, Peters received a letter and/or Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law when she failed to meet the requirements of the Agreed Disposition. Bren said that on July 26, Department of Labor attorney Amber Mulder told her to be prepared to discuss "what is the definition of a serious deficiency; what criteria do you use for denials; how many are denied each year; how many are approved; are we saying that Kassidy can take certain classes and resubmit".

Bren said she felt "very nervous" and "intimidated" when meeting with Noem and attorneys and Labor Secretary Hultman. Bren mentioned during the meeting at the mansion some appraisal classes that she thought would be helpful to Peters. Bren said that Noem was upset that she was just now hearing about the classes. Bren testified that the decision to depart from recognized upgrade procedures and offer a third opportunity would be Hultman's. Bren said this was beyond the recognized procedures and "not normal."

On November 1, 2021, the Government Accountability Board set an agenda to discuss this issue and another issue based on complaints brought by Ravnsborg. On December 15, 2021, the Government Accountability Board referred one of the two complaints to Noem for a response and sent the other back to the complainant for further information. On February 3, 2022, the Government Accountability Board referred the second complaint to Noem for a response and gave her until April 15, 2022, to answer both pending complaints.

On February 24, 2022, Republican State Representative John Mills introduced House Resolution 7004, "Addressing the Governor's unacceptable actions in matters related to the appraiser certification program", against Noem. On March 1, the resolution was debated and failed by a margin of 29 to 38 with three excused, including Noem's primary opponent Steven Haugaard and U.S. House candidate Taffy Howard.

Conflict with Native American tribes

In 2024, it was reported that all nine tribes of South Dakota banned Noem from entering any tribal lands, prohibiting her from entering almost 20% of South Dakota. Other media reported that one of the nine tribes, the Yankton Sioux, had not officially banned Noem. The Oglala Sioux banned Noem in February, followed by the Cheyenne River Sioux, the Standing Rock Sioux, and the Rosebud Sioux in April, and the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, the Crow Creek Sioux, and the Flandreau Santee Sioux in May.

The tribes took action after demanding that Noem apologize for her comments about them. In March 2024, Noem said there were "some tribal leaders that I believe are personally benefiting from the cartels being there", but gave no evidence, and that there were people "who actually live in those situations, who call me and text me every day and say, 'Please, dear governor, please come help us in Pine Ridge. We are scared.'" She added: "they live with 80% to 90% unemployment. Their kids don't have any hope. They don't have parents who show up and help them."

Around January 2025, Noem apologized to the tribes for the misunderstanding between them, and the Flandreau Santee Sioux tribe dissolved its order banning Noem from its land. The tribe said, "the Governor has shown us that she is committed to protecting the people of South Dakota including the citizens of the nine Tribal Nations, who share mutual borders with the state", and expressed its support for her nomination as the Secretary of Homeland Security.

COVID-19 pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic in South Dakota, Noem was at first open to containment strategies. She did not implement face mask mandates, raised doubts about the efficacy of mask-wearing, encouraged large gatherings without social distancing or mask-wearing, and questioned experts' advice.

Noem was one of few governors who did not maintain statewide stay-at-home orders or face-mask mandates. Her response mirrored Trump's rhetoric and handling of COVID. She was rewarded for her COVID response with a speech at the 2020 Republican National Convention, which elevated her profile. The Argus Leader called the speech a "defining moment in her...career".

Early in the pandemic, Noem requested that the legislature pass a bill giving the state health secretary and county officials the power to close businesses and other entities. The House rejected the bill. On March 13, 2020, Noem ordered K-12 schools to close, and on April 6, she extended that order for the remainder of the school year. Noem ordered businesses and local governments to practice social distancing and other CDC guidelines.

Noem emphasized South Dakota's role in evaluating hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial drug that Trump had touted as a cure for COVID. It was never shown to be useful in treating COVID but can produce fatal cardiac arrhythmia.

In early 2020 one of the largest COVID outbreaks in the US occurred in South Dakota. The Smithfield Foods production plant in Sioux Falls had four deaths, with nearly 1,300 workers and their family members testing positive. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar misinformed legislators that meatpacking employees were unlikely to be infected at work, but that their "home and social" habits were spreading the contagion. Noem may have been the first officeholder to publicly express that view. On April 13 2020, in relation to Smithfield, she told Fox News, "We believe that 99 percent of what's going on today wasn't happening inside the facility". The industry did not explain the deaths from COVID of USDA food-safety inspectors from three plants. Almost 200 inspectors contracted symptomatic COVID-19.

In the pandemic's early days, the Food Safety and Inspection Service did not provide protective equipment to its inspectors, forbidding them from wearing masks in the slaughterhouses, as it feared that might accentuate the risks. On April 9, 2020, the agency said its inspectors would be allowed to wear masks if the meatpacking plants' owners gave them permission. Inspectors were expected to supply their own masks. A month later, after publication of the risk of spreading the virus, the USDA started giving its inspectors masks. Noem had said that the plant was in full operation as an essential food manufacturing facility. Forty-eight of Smithfield's workers were hospitalized. On April 6, 2020, Noem issued an executive order that said people "shall" follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; she ordered everyone over 65 in Minnehaha and Lincoln counties to stay home for three weeks.

Noem did not mandate social distancing or the wearing of face masks at a July 3, 2020, event at Mount Rushmore with Trump present. Health experts warned that large gatherings without social distancing or mask-wearing posed a risk to public health. Noem publicly doubted scientific recommendations on the usefulness of masks. In an opinion piece in the Rapid City Journal, she defended her views, citing analysis by the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, a group known for promoting pseudoscience. It had called vaccination the equivalent of "human experimentation."

COVID cases increased drastically in South Dakota after the 2020 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, in which Noem participated. COVID patients hospitalized in South Dakota on October 22, reached a record high of 355, including 75 in Intensive Care Units. South Dakota's two largest hospital systems rescheduled elective procedures to increase available space and personnel to accommodate the surge. In the absence of a statewide mask mandate, hospital systems urged people to wear masks while in the company of those outside their own households. Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken advised his constituents, "Wear a dang mask."

Sixteen weeks after Trump's 2020 executive order that provided enhanced weekly unemployment benefits of $300 as part of the U.S. federal government response to the pandemic, Noem opted out of the program, citing a low state unemployment rate. South Dakota was the only state to refuse the assistance. Its jobless rate in June was 7.2%, up from 3.1% in March, though down from 11% in April. Acceptance of the funding required the state to augment the benefit by $100 unless other jobless assistance allowed the match to be waived.

From 2020 to 2021, the following events took place:

• Noem supported the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in August 2020, despite warnings from experts that it could spread COVID. Nearly 500,000 bikers attended the event. Public health notices were issued for saloons and other businesses in the Sturgis area. By the end of August, dozens of cases linked to attendance at the event were reported in several states.
• In September 2020, amid a surge of new cases, Noem announced that she would spend $5 million of relief funding on a state tourism campaign. She used $819,000 of those funds to have the state's Department of Tourism run a 30-second Fox News commercial she had narrated during the 2020 Republican National Convention.
• During September 2020, over 550 students became infected at South Dakota universities; 200 more cases were reported in K–12 schools.
• In October 2020, as South Dakota reported the country's second-highest number of new cases per capita and hospitals began to prioritize treatment of severe COVID cases over lesser ones, Noem said the higher case numbers were because of more testing, despite the positive test rate and hospitalization rate also increasing.
• In February 2021, Noem signed a bill limiting civil liability for certain exposures to COVID. The bill exempted healthcare providers and other businesses, including those selling personal protective equipment, from lawsuits unless COVID exposure resulted from gross negligence, recklessness, or willful misconduct.
• Also in February 2021, Noem announced her opposition to a bill prohibiting schools and universities from requiring students to get vaccinated. In May, she signed an executive order prohibiting government facilities from requiring proof of vaccination to access services, a policy she called "un-American". In August, Noem opposed legislation proposed by Republican state legislators Jon Hansen and Scott Odenbach that would prohibit businesses from requiring vaccinations as a condition for employment.
• In July 2021, Noem criticized other Republican governors for enacting mandatory measures against COVID and trying to "rewrite history" about it. She argued that South Dakota had effectively combated the pandemic by, instead, testing and isolating cases. South Dakota had the 10th-highest death rate and third-highest case rate.

Department of Corrections

In July 2021, Noem placed Secretary of the Department of Corrections Mike Liedholt on administrative leave, and fired South Dakota State Penitentiary Warden Darin Young and Deputy Warden Jennifer Dreiske, after receiving an anonymous note with complaints regarding pay, medical coverage and instances of sexual harassment. Liedholt later announced his retirement. Later that month, after meeting with prison employees, despite lingering COVID-19 cases, Noem ended the prison's mask mandate.

In August 2021, Noem announced that the CGL Group, a California-based company, was hired for $166,410 to comprehensively review the Department of Corrections operations. At the same time, the director of the prison work program was fired, and two other DOC employees relieved of their duties.

The prison work program director, Stephany Bawek, subsequently filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), alleging that she was retaliated against for reporting sexual harassment by Young. On March 14, 2022, Bawek filed a lawsuit in federal district court alleging that she was fired for reporting incidents of sexual harassment in the workplace.

Deployment of South Dakota National Guard to southern border (2021)

In June 2021, Noem announced that she was sending members of the South Dakota National Guard to Texas's border with Mexico. Tennessee billionaire Willis Johnson said he would donate the money necessary for the deployment. On September 22, 2021, the Center for Public Integrity sued the South Dakota National Guard and the U.S. Department of Defense in the federal district court in the District of Columbia to obtain documents about the deployment and the donation. The 2022 National Defense Authorization Act banned National Guard members from crossing state borders to perform duties paid for by private donors.

Fireworks at Mount Rushmore lawsuit (2021)

In 2021, Noem sued U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, seeking to have fireworks at Mount Rushmore for Independence Day. Fireworks displays had been halted at the site in 2009 by the National Park Service due to fire risks and other reasons. Noem hired the private Washington D.C. law firm Consovoy McCarthy to bring the case, with South Dakota state taxpayer money paying for the suit. The U.S. District Court dismissed the suit, with Judge Roberto Lange finding that four of the five reasons given by the NPS and Secretary Haaland were valid. On July 13, Noem filed an appeal with the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals.

On March 14, 2022, the National Park Service again denied Noem's application for a permit to have fireworks at Mount Rushmore for the 4th of July, citing opposition from Native American groups and the possibility of wildfires.

Governor's mansion spending

In May 2019, Noem proposed to build a fence around the governor's mansion, estimated to cost approximately $400,000, but retracted the proposal. In 2020, the 2019 project was revived; a senior Noem advisor told the media that the decision was based on the recommendations of Noem's security team. In late November 2021, it was reported that Noem spent $68,000 of taxpayer dollars on imported rugs from India, chandeliers and a sauna for the mansion.

Guns

In 2019, Noem signed a bill into law abolishing South Dakota's permit requirement to carry a concealed handgun. In 2022, she sought to build a gun range in Meade County with government funds, but the legislature rejected it.

At a 2023 NRA forum in Indiana, Noem said that her two-year-old granddaughter had a shotgun, a rifle, and a "little pony named Sparkles".

LGBTQ rights

Noem opposes same-sex marriage. In 2015, she said she disagreed with Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court's ruling that same-sex marriage bans are unconstitutional.

On March 8, 2021, Noem announced on Twitter that she would sign into law H.B. 1217, the Women's Fairness in Sports Bill, which bans transgender athletes from playing on or against women's school and college sports teams. Some critics of the bill said they were worried it might turn away business and cost the state money. On March 19, Noem issued a style and form veto to H.B. 1217 that substantially altered the bill, not just correcting grammar and spelling mistakes. She defended her position on Tucker Carlson Tonight.

On March 29, the South Dakota House rejected Noem's veto, 67–2. The bill was returned to Noem for reconsideration, and she vetoed it again. The House failed to override her veto, by a vote of 45–24. 47 votes were needed to override. Many conservative commentators criticized Noem for vetoing the bill.

In December 2021, Noem and her office signaled their support for a bill called "An Act to Protect Fairness in women's sports." The bill would require young athletes to join teams that align with their sex assigned at birth.

In 2021, Noem signed a religious refusal bill into law. The legislation amended the state RFRA to allow business owners to cite religious beliefs as a basis to deny products or services to people based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The legislation, S.B. 124, was criticized by civil rights groups who said it would enable discrimination against LGBTQ+ people, women, and members of minority faiths. This bill was the first major state RFRA law signed into law in six years, and resembles the 2015 bill signed into law by Indiana Governor Mike Pence.

"Meth. We're on It" campaign

On November 18, 2019, Noem released a meth awareness campaign named "Meth. We're on It". The campaign was widely mocked and Noem was criticized for spending $449,000 of public funds while hiring an out-of-state advertising agency from Minnesota to lead the project. She defended the campaign as successful in raising awareness.

Opposition to cannabis legalization

In 2020, Noem opposed two ballot measures to legalize cannabis for medical use and recreational use in South Dakota, saying, "The fact is, I've never met someone who got smarter from smoking pot. It's not good for our kids. And it's not going to improve our communities." After both measures passed, she and two police officers filed a lawsuit seeking a court decision against the measure legalizing recreational use, Amendment A.

On February 8, 2021, circuit court judge Christina Klinger struck down the amendment as unconstitutional. After the ruling, she also sought to delay the implementation of the medical marijuana initiative for a year. Ultimately, her efforts failed and medical marijuana became legal on July 1, 2021.

Noem has opposed the cultivation of industrial hemp, vetoing a bill that passed the South Dakota House and Senate in 2019 to legalize hemp cultivation. She said, "There is no question in my mind that normalizing hemp, like legalizing medical marijuana, is part of a larger strategy to undermine enforcement of the drug laws and make legalized marijuana inevitable."

RV park in Custer State Park proposal

In 2022, Noem sought to locate a government-paid RV park in Custer State Park. The proposal was met with significant opposition to include government competing with private business and disturbing the pristine nature of the park. The House Agricultural and Natural Resources deferred the bill to the 41st day, effectively killing it, by a vote of 9–3.

School prayer bill

In 2022, Noem sought to have prayer put back in school after mentioning it in a speech in Iowa. On January 21, 2022, the "prayer bill", HB 1015, was defeated in the House Education Committee by a vote of 9–6. An aide to Noem admitted to the committee that no schools were consulted about the proposal.

Staff

On November 19, 2021, Noem named her fifth chief of staff, Mark Miller, to replace outgoing chief of staff Aaron Scheibe. Scheibe served as chief of staff from May 1 to November 19, 2021. Tony Venhuizen preceded Scheibe from March 2, 2020, to April 23, 2021. Josh Shields preceded Venhuizen from October 1, 2019, to January 1, 2020. Herb Jones was Noem's first chief of staff, and served from January 5 to October 1, 2019.

Trade

In February 2019, she said that the Trump administration's trade wars with China and the European Union had devastated South Dakota's economy, particularly the agricultural sector, "by far" the state's largest industry.

Supplemental income from political donations

In 2023, while serving as South Dakota's governor, Noem funneled $80,000 in fees from a nonprofit, American Resolve Policy Fund, into her personal company. She failed to disclose this payment in her federal ethics filings upon joining DHS, which ethics experts say violates disclosure rules.

Secretary of Homeland Security (2025–present)

Main article: Deportation in the second presidency of Donald Trump

Nomination and confirmation

On November 12, 2024, President-elect Trump selected Noem to serve as Secretary of Homeland Security in his second term. The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs held a confirmation hearing for her on January 17, 2025. The committee advanced her nomination in a 13–2 vote on January 20. On January 25, the Senate confirmed Noem by a vote of 59–34, with seven Democrats voting to confirm.

Tenure

After resigning as governor of South Dakota, Noem was sworn in on January 25, 2025, by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as Secretary of Homeland Security, with Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry holding the Bible.

In the early morning of January 28, Noem joined multiple federal law enforcement agencies, including ICE, to lead a raid on illegal immigrants in New York City. Her department posted a video of the raid on X that showed an apparent arrest.

After the 2025 Potomac River mid-air collision, Noem deployed U.S. Coast Guard resources for search and rescue efforts.

One of Noem's first acts in office was to rescind an 18-month extension of temporary protected status for about 600,000 Venezuelans who had fled Nicolás Maduro's authoritarian regime. In March, she revoked legal protections for 532,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela who had settled in the U.S. since 2022.

In February, CNN host Dana Bash interviewed Noem about the new administration's policies and the Department of Homeland Security, including the use of Guantanamo Bay to detain migrants, which Noem said would be temporary. Noem also told Bash that she was comfortable with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) having access to sensitive data, saying that it was identifying waste, fraud, and abuse. She added, "information he [Elon Musk] has is looking at programs, not focusing on personal data and information."

In April, The Washington Post reported that Noem and acting Social Security Administration commissioner Leland Dudek had instructed the Social Security Administration to falsely list over 6,000 living immigrants in its database of dead people.

On the evening of April 20, 2025, Noem's purse was stolen from a D.C. burger restaurant. The purse contained important items, like her government access badge, apartment keys, $2,000–3,000 in cash, her passport, and blank checks. The incident raised various concerns, including about her Secret Service detail presence.

The Trump administration has claimed that around 140,000 people had been deported as of April 2025, though some estimates put the number at roughly half that.

During a May 20 Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on the Department of Homeland Security's budget for fiscal year 2026, Noem incorrectly defined habeas corpus as "a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country" in response to a question from Senator Maggie Hassan. In actuality, habeas corpus is the constitutional right for a detainee to request that a court review the lawfulness of their detention, which would require the government to justify the detention. After being corrected on the definition, Noem said that the American president "has the authority under the Constitution to" choose to suspend habeas corpus. In fact, the constitutional clause on the suspension of habeas corpus, which reads "Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it", is in Article One of the United States Constitution on the powers of Congress, not Article Two of the United States Constitution on the powers of the executive branch.

On May 22, Noem attempted to revoke the Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification for Harvard University (see Education policy of the second Donald Trump administration).

During a news conference in Los Angeles on June 12, Noem failed to recognize the senior U.S. Senator from California, Alex Padilla, who was present at the news conference. When Padilla attempted to ask Noem a question, he was forcibly removed from the room, pushed to the ground, and handcuffed by FBI and Secret Service agents.

In June 2025, ProPublica reported that Noem failed to disclose past income from a dark money group in her federal ethics filings upon joining DHS, which ethics experts say violates disclosure rules. In November, ProPublica announced that a firm tied to Noem had received $200 million in DHS ad contracts during the government shutdown. The firm, Strategy Group, has multiple ties with Noem and her political career.

Noem has been nicknamed "ICE Barbie" because of her frequent photo ops with ICE at their raids.

In August 2025, Noem announced that 1.6 million unauthorized immigrants had left the United States since January of that year.

Deportation of U.S. service members and veterans

During a December 12, 2025, committee hearing, U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner asked Noem how many U.S. veterans DHS had deported. She replied that they had not deported any. He then showed, via Zoom, Purple Heart recipient and green-card holder Sae Joon Park, who had been deported under her administration. Magaziner said Park had "sacrificed more for this country than most people ever have."

Park legally immigrated to the U.S. from South Korea when he was 7, grew up in Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley, and enlisted in the U.S. Army after graduating from Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks in 1988. He was deployed to Panama in 1989 during Operation Just Cause and wounded by enemy gunfire. After leaving the Army, Park suffered from PTSD, and his family's business burned to the ground during the 1992 Los Angeles riots. He moved to Hawaii and in 2009 was arrested for attempting to buy cocaine. Federal authorities allowed Park to stay in the U.S. as long as he made regular check-ins, which he did until June 2025, when he was told to self-deport or be deported by DHS officials. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Park had an "extensive criminal history" and had been given a final removal order, with the option to self-deport. Representative Delia Ramirez has since called for Noem to resign or be impeached due to her statements to Congress and wants a Congressional investigation into possible violations.

Impeachment proceedings

On January 14, 2026, Representative Robin Kelly introduced three articles of impeachment against Noem. She alleged Noem had:

• Obstructed congressional oversight of ICE facilities,
• Violated public trust regarding arrests and the use of force and,
• Engaged in self-dealing by awarding the contract for a $200 million taxpayer-funded recruitment campaign to Tricia McLaughlin's husband.

As of the filing, 70 representatives have signaled their support for the proceedings.

Electoral history

Presidential politics

2020 presidential election

In 2020, the Trump-Pence ticket carried South Dakota, receiving 261,043 votes to 150,471 for the Biden-Harris ticket. Noem was initially designated to be one of Trump's three presidential electors for South Dakota, but later withdrew.

Noem has claimed that the 2020 presidential election, in which Biden defeated Trump, was marred by widespread voter fraud; no evidence supports this claim. On December 8, 2020, Noem tacitly acknowledged the outcome of the election when she referred to a "Biden administration" during her annual state budget address, but even after Biden was inaugurated in January, she still refused to accept that the election was "free and fair".

After the U.S. Capitol was attacked by a pro-Trump mob on January 6, 2021, disrupting the counting of the electoral votes formalizing Biden's victory, Noem spoke out against the violence, saying: "We are all entitled to peacefully protest. Violence is not a part of that." One day after calling for peace and reconciliation in the aftermath of the assault on the Capitol, Noem called the two newly elected Democratic senators from Georgia, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, "communists" in an op-ed for The Federalist, prompting criticism from South Dakota Democrats.

2024 presidential election

Noem endorsed Trump in the 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries in September 2023, at a rally hosted for him in Rapid City, South Dakota. Trump invited her to appear with him at a March 2024 rally in Vandalia, Ohio.

During Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, commentators suggested that Noem was a potential running mate for Trump. In September 2023, when asked on Newsmax if she would agree to serve as Trump's running mate, Noem responded that she would "in a heartbeat". At the February 2024 CPAC conference, Noem tied with Vivek Ramaswamy as attendees' top choice for Trump's running mate, with each receiving 15% of the vote in a straw poll. Also that month, Trump acknowledged that Noem was one of the names on his shortlist to be his running mate. In March 2024, CNN reported that Noem was one of four people Trump had shown increased interest in selecting as his running mate.

In April 2024, insiders said that her odds of being selected as Trump's running mate had waned due to her stance on abortion and the revelation in her book No Going Back that she shot and killed her pet dog and a goat. It was noted that "additions, subtractions and the emergence of dark-horse candidates remain possible", but on June 5, NBC News reported that Noem was no longer on Trump's shortlist of running mates.

Personal life

She married Bryon Noem in 1992, in Watertown, South Dakota. They have three children. In 2011, when Noem moved to Washington, D.C. to take her congressional office, her family continued to live on a ranch near Castlewood, South Dakota.

Noem is a Protestant. As of 2018, her family attended a Foursquare Church in Watertown. She is a grandmother.

In September 2021, conservative media outlet American Greatness reported that Noem was having an extramarital affair with political operative Corey Lewandowski. Noem called the report a "disgusting lie", saying, "these old, tired attacks on conservative women are based on a falsehood that we can't achieve anything without a man's help." In September 2023, the New York Post and the Daily Mail published similar reports about Noem and Lewandowski, which Noem's spokesman denied. In September 2025, New York reported that the romantic relationship between Noem and Lewandowski is ongoing, and that Lewandowski plays a significant role in running the Department of Homeland Security, acting as Noem's "de facto chief of staff".

In March 2024, Noem shared a video in which she identified herself as the South Dakota governor and promoted a cosmetic dentist business that she said helped her after she lost her front teeth in a biking accident years before: "I love my new family at Smile Texas!" Noem has since become one of the most prominent examples of so-called "Mar-a-Lago face", a cosmetic surgery trend among conservative women, and what has been called Republican makeup.

In August 2024, Noem and her sister, Cindy Grantham, were inducted into the Daughters of the American Revolution by State Regent Katherine Tarrell at the South Dakota State Fair.

''No Going Back''

In April 2024, pre-release excerpts of Noem's second autobiography, No Going Back, received broad criticism and condemnation. In a chapter titled "Bad Day to Be a Goat", Noem recounts that she brought her family's 14-month-old female wirehaired pointer, Cricket, along for a pheasant hunt with guests at her family's hunting lodge. Expecting Cricket to emulate the older, trained, dogs on the hunt, Noem instead felt that Cricket ruined the hunt by "chasing all those birds and having the time of her life". Noem then killed her family's male goat, which she said was "disgusting, musky, rancid".

Noem initially responded that "tough decisions like this happen all the time on a farm", and subsequently said the incident occurred 20 years ago, and that "the fake news ... put the worst spin" on the story, as Cricket was a "working dog" that "came to us from a family who had found her way too aggressive ... a responsible owner does what they need to do". The story led to bipartisan criticism of Noem and doubt about the likelihood of her selection as Trump's vice presidential running mate intensified. A fundraising dinner for Noem in Colorado scheduled for May 4 was canceled after the group and the hotel hosting the event received death threats.

Later in the memoir, Noem wrote of imagining herself becoming president in 2025, taking over from Biden, and that the first thing she would do would be to "make sure Joe Biden's dog was nowhere on the grounds ('Commander, say hello to Cricket for me')", in an apparent suggestion that Commander be killed. Months earlier, Commander had been moved out of the White House after having bitten Secret Service agents and others on over a dozen occasions. In an interview, Noem said that Biden was "accountable" and called for Biden to "make a decision" on "what to do" about Commander.

Noem also wrote, "I remember when I met with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. I'm sure he underestimated me, having no clue about my experience staring down little tyrants (I'd been a children's pastor, after all). Dealing with foreign leaders takes resolve, preparation, and determination." Her spokesperson said the claim was an error and would be expunged from the book's future editions. Noem claimed in the book that she was once "slated to meet with French president Emmanuel Macron", but called off the meeting because he made a "very pro-Hamas and anti-Israel comment to the press"; the French government responded that it had neither invited Noem nor had any record of a scheduled meeting with her.

The Washington Post's literary critic Ron Charles wrote that the "description of Cricket's Last Stand is the one time in this howlingly dull book that Noem demonstrates any sense of setting, character, plot and emotional honesty. Otherwise, it's mostly a hodgepodge of worn chestnuts and conservative maxims".

Autobiographies

References

References

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51. (February 1, 2022). "Democratic leader Jamie Smith running for Governor". [[KELO-TV]].
52. Nord, James. (January 5, 2019). "Kristi Noem sworn in as South Dakota's first female governor". [[Associated Press]].
53. (March 28, 2024). "South Dakota to create 'Med Ed' video to combat 'abortion misinformation'".
54. (June 6, 2018). "SBA List Declares Victory as Rep. Kristi Noem Wins Primary for Governor of South Dakota".
55. (March 20, 2019). "South Dakota governor signs bills aimed at curbing abortion". [[Associated Press]].
56. (July 4, 2022). "South Dakota governor defends state's abortion 'trigger' ban when asked if 10-year-old should be forced to give birth". [[CNN]].
57. (January 13, 2024). "Noem's 'Year of life' comes amid new abortion fight". [[KELO-TV]].
58. Sforza, Lauren. (April 21, 2024). "Noem says abortion laws should be determined by the state".
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66. (July 23, 2022). "Noem's lawyer: CRT report is now 'public record request'". [[KELO-TV]].
67. (August 15, 2022). "Dept. of Education removes content not in line with Noem CRT order". [[KELO-TV]].
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69. (February 1, 2021). "Bill to disclose Noem's travel security costs faces backlash". [[Associated Press]].
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71. (January 29, 2021). "Lawmakers say taxpayers deserve to know Noem's travel security costs". [[KELO-TV]].
72. (September 9, 2022). "Documents show Gov. Kristi Noem tried to avoid ethics hearing, seal records".
73. Brown, Alleen. (May 23, 2019). "Pipeline Opponents Strike Back Against Anti-Protest Laws". [[The Intercept]].
74. Kaczke, Lisa. (January 28, 2020). "Gov. Kristi Noem finalizes her 2020 riot boosting legislation". [[Argus Leader]].
75. Kine, Phelim. (April 3, 2024). "US states are cutting off Chinese citizens and companies from land ownership".
76. (November 30, 2022). "South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem bans TikTok from state-owned devices, citing China links". [[South China Morning Post]].
77. (May 6, 2023). "Noem bans Tencent on state-owned devices".
78. (March 4, 2024). "Noem signs foreign-owned ag land bill into law".
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81. (September 27, 2021). "As daughter sought state license, Noem summoned agency head". [[Associated Press]].
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94. (May 23, 2024). "Noem now banned from all South Dakota tribal lands". [[The Hill (newspaper).
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96. (January 31, 2024). "Kristi Noem says drugs from southern border infiltrating South Dakota's reservations". [[Argus Leader]].
97. (May 12, 2024). "Controversy follows Gov. Kristi Noem as she is banned by two more South Dakota tribes". Associated Press.
98. Cabral, Sam. (May 14, 2024). "Kristi Noem: Trump VP hopeful outlawed on six Native American reservations". [[BBC News]].
99. (March 21, 2024). "Tribes demand apology from South Dakota's governor after comments made during bill signing". [[Star-Herald]].
100. (January 16, 2025). "South Dakota tribe lifts its ban on Noem ahead of her Homeland Security confirmation hearing". PBS.
101. (September 10, 2020). "South Dakota governor uses coronavirus relief funds for $5 million tourism ad despite COVID surge". CBS News.
102. Nauman, Talli. (November 23, 2020). "South Dakota gripped by pandemic amid Kristi Noem's no-mask approach". [[The Guardian]].
103. Pilkington, Ed. (November 19, 2020). "Kristi Noem rigidly follows Trump strategy of denial as COVID ravages South Dakota". The Guardian.
104. (May 5, 2020). "'A resume for future office': Virus tests a GOP governor". [[Associated Press]].
105. Groves, Stephen. (November 16, 2020). "As deaths spiral, South Dakota governor opposes mask rules". ABC News.
106. Groves, Stephen. (August 26, 2020). "South Dakota's Noem speaks at RNC as state virus cases rise". [[Associated Press]].
107. (August 26, 2020). "WATCH: South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem paints dark picture of U.S. under Dem leaders". PBS NewsHour.
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110. (March 31, 2020). "Legislature rejects extending Noem's shutdown authority or letting her close gun stores". [[Rapid City Journal]].
111. (March 13, 2020). "Gov. Noem declares state of emergency in South Dakota". [[KSFY-TV]].
112. (March 13, 2020). "Noem orders South Dakota K-12 schools to close next week; Iowa, Nebraska holding off on similar moves". [[Sioux City Journal]].
113. (April 6, 2020). "Schools to remain closed for rest of academic year: What that means for Sioux Falls". [[Argus Leader]].
114. (April 6, 2020). "Noem closes schools for remainder of semester; updates executive order to businesses". [[Rapid City Journal]].
115. (April 7, 2020). "Noem Issues New Executive Order in COVID-19 Response". South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations.
116. Aaro, David. (March 24, 2020). "Arizona man dies after self-medicating to treat coronavirus". [[Fox News]].
117. Bradner, Eric. (April 14, 2020). "South Dakota governor faces criticism over refusal to issue stay-at-home order after pork plant outbreak". CNN.
118. (March 14, 2020). "Arizona man dies after attempting to take Trump coronavirus 'cure'". [[The Guardian]].
119. Witte, Griff. (April 13, 2020). "South Dakota's governor resisted ordering people to stay home. Now it has one of the nation's largest coronavirus hot spots.". The Washington Post.
120. Mitchell, Trevor J.. (May 4, 2020). "Noem 'disappointed' Smithfield isn't sharing reopening plans". [[Argus Leader]].
121. Schlosser, Eric. (May 12, 2020). "America's Slaughterhouses Aren't Just Killing Animals".
122. Matzen, Morgan. (April 14, 2020). "Noem refuses banning evictions, utility shutoffs; rejects shelter-in-place request". [[Rapid City Journal]].
123. Tesfaye, Sophia. (September 12, 2020). "Is South Dakota's Kristi Noem, a Trump superfan, the nation's worst COVID governor?". [[Salon (website).
124. Noem, Kristi. (April 6, 2020). "Executive Order 2020-12". South Dakota Secretary of State.
125. Noem, Kristi. (April 6, 2020). "Executive Order 2020-13". South Dakota Secretary of State.
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127. Cummings, William. (July 1, 2020). "'We won't be social distancing' at Mount Rushmore celebration with Trump, says SD Gov. Noem". USA Today.
128. Groves, Stephen. (October 22, 2020). "Noem says South Dakota is doing 'good' as virus surges". [[Associated Press]].
129. "AAPS Resolution Concerning Mandatory Vaccines". Association of American Physicians and Surgeons.
130. "The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Set Off A Surge Of COVID Cases In South Dakota". NPR.
131. (August 10, 2021). "Noem Attends Sturgis Charity Ride, Defends COVID-19 Approach". South Dakota Public Broadcasting.
132. Romm, Tony. (August 15, 2020). "South Dakota declines to boost unemployment payments under Trump's order". [[The Washington Post]].
133. (August 16, 2020). "South Dakota turns down Trump's unemployment benefits boost". CNN.
134. (August 8, 2020). "Sturgis motorcycle rally draws thousands of bikers despite coronavirus fears". [[Yahoo! News]].
135. Martin, Jonathan. (May 2, 2021). "Why Kristi Noem Is Rising Quickly as a Republican Prospect for 2024". The New York Times.
136. (August 25, 2020). "At Least 103 New Coronavirus Cases in 8 States Linked to South Dakota Motorcycle Rally".
137. (August 7, 2020). "Colorado Reports 20+ Coronavirus Cases Linked To Sturgis Motorcycle Rally". KCNC-TV.
138. Groves, Stephen. (August 25, 2020). "Revved by Sturgis Rally, COVID-19 infections move fast, far". [[Associated Press]].
139. (September 3, 2020). "South Dakota spends $819,000 on Fox News ad pitching tourism in the state". [[The Billings Gazette]].
140. (October 13, 2020). "Noem blames surge in cases on testing as hospitals fill". [[Associated Press]].
141. (February 17, 2021). "Noem signs bill limiting liability for certain COVID-19 exposures". [[KNBN.
142. (February 21, 2020). "Noem opposes bill to stop schools requiring vaccinations". [[Associated Press]].
143. (June 1, 2021). "These States Have Banned Vaccine Passports". U.S. News & World Report.
144. (August 19, 2021). "SD Legislators urge 'vaccine mandate ban,' face Noem opposition". [[KSFY-TV]].
145. Reston, Maeve. (July 11, 2017). "Kristi Noem criticizes GOP governors who enacted COVID-19 mandates". CNN.
146. (July 14, 2021). "Gov. Noem makes announcement regarding Department of Corrections". Hub City Radio.
147. Epp, Todd. (July 15, 2021). "UPDATE: Gov. Noem fires two corrections officials, places another one on administrative leave". [[KELO (AM)]].
148. (August 13, 2021). "S.D. Secretary of Corrections announces retirement amid DOC Shakeup". [[KELO-TV]].
149. (July 27, 2021). "Gov. Noem ends prison mask mandate despite lingering Covid 19 cases". [[KELO-TV]].
150. (August 6, 2021). "S.D. selects CGL Group to review Department of Corrections". [[KELO (AM)]].
151. (August 6, 2021). "Fired DOC worker alleges retaliation for reporting sexual harassment by former prison warden". [[KELO-TV]].
152. (March 16, 2022). "Former DOC worker official part of workplace misconduct fallout taking South Dakota to court". [[Argus Leader]].
153. (March 15, 2022). "Bawek v. Wasko,4:22-CV-04041".
154. Horton, Alex. (June 29, 2021). "South Dakota governor sending National Guard to Mexico border on mission funded by GOP megadonor". [[The Washington Post]].
155. Hennigan, W.J.. (June 29, 2021). "Billionaire GOP Donor Bankrolls National Guard Border Deployment".
156. Yost, Rae. (September 30, 2021). "Lawsuit claims S.D. National Guard illegally withheld public documents". [[KELO-TV]].
157. Vondracek, Christopher. (December 16, 2021). "Defense bill would ban private donations for National Guard deployment". [[Jamestown Sun]].
158. (April 30, 2021). "South Dakota governor sues for fireworks at Mount Rushmore". [[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]].
159. (April 30, 2021). "Complaint, Noem v. Haaland". South Dakota Governor.
160. (April 30, 2021). "Governor Noem sues federal government to bring fireworks back to Mt. Rushmore". [[KELO-TV]].
161. (April 30, 2021). "Judge rules against Noem in fireworks lawsuit". [[KELO-TV]].
162. (July 13, 2021). "Appeal filed in lawsuit regarding Mount Rushmore". [[KELO-TV]].
163. (March 15, 2022). "Feds once again nix Noem's Mount Rushmore Fireworks event". [[KSTP-TV]].
164. (May 28, 2019). "State asking for interest in fencing S.D. Governor's mansion". [[KELO (AM)]].
165. (June 10, 2019). "Noem: no fence in Pierre". [[KELO (AM)]].
166. Mercer, Bob. (August 12, 2020). "Security fence will be built around SD Governor's residence". KELO News.
167. (November 29, 2021). "Gov. Noem spends more than $68,000 in taxpayer money on rugs, sauna, and chandeliers for state governor's mansion". [[USA Today]].
168. (February 1, 2019). "South Dakota is the latest state to allow concealed handguns to be carried without a permit". [[CNN]].
169. (January 31, 2019). "South Dakota governor signs law to allow concealed handguns without a permit". [[The Hill (newspaper).
170. (January 31, 2019). "Gov. Noem signs 'Constitutional carry' of concealed handguns without permits into law". [[Argus Leader]].
171. (January 25, 2022). "HB 1049-make an appropriation to the Department of Game, Fish and Parks for building a shooting range near Rapid City and to declare an emergency.". Legislative Research Council.
172. (March 8, 2022). "Third time is not the charm Legislature declines to help fund public shooting range". [[South Dakota Public Broadcasting]].
173. (March 7, 2022). "SD House nixes money for RC shooting range". [[KELO-TV]].
174. (April 15, 2023). "South Dakota governor says her two-year-old grandchild has several guns".
175. (June 26, 2016). "South Dakotans on gay marriage ruling: Joy, disappointment". [[Argus Leader]].
176. Bollinger, Alex. (March 9, 2021). "South Dakota passes an anti-trans sports bill on International Women's Day".
177. Wargo, Abby. (March 10, 2021). "Anti-trans bill could hurt state's college teams, cost state millions, sports official says". [[Argus Leader]].
178. (March 19, 2021). "Noem issues 'style and form' veto that would substantially alter girls' and women's sports bill". [[KELO-TV]].
179. Halon, Yael. (March 22, 2021). "Tucker asks Noem if she is 'caving to the NCAA' over bill banning transgender women from girls' sports". [[Fox News]].
180. (March 29, 2021). "SD House Overrides Governor's Style and Form Veto". [[WNAX (AM)]].
181. Bernstein, Brittany. (March 29, 2021). "South Dakota Governor Issues Final Veto on Transgender Sports Bill".
182. (March 29, 2021). "Transgender sports bill dies after veto override fails". [[KSFY-TV]].
183. Jordan, Brittany. (April 1, 2021). "Kristi Noem Has No Good Explanations For Vetoing The Girls' Sports Bill". Federal Inquirer.
184. (March 23, 2021). "Noem Forfeits Girls' Sports for Woke Corps". [[Family Research Council]].
185. (December 15, 2021). "South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem continues push to ban transgender women and girls from female sports". [[CBS News]].
186. John Riley, [https://www.metroweekly.com/2021/03/south-dakota-gov-kristi-noem-signs-religious-refusal-bill-allowing-denials-of-service-to-lgbtq-people/ South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem signs religious refusal bill allowing denials of service to LGBTQ people] {{Webarchive. link. (February 8, 2022 , ''MetroWeekly'' (March 12, 2021).)
187. (March 11, 2021). "South Dakota Governor Signs Discriminatory 'Religious Freedom' Bill".
188. Holmes, Juwan J.. (March 12, 2021). "South Dakota passes "religious freedom" bill that could legalize discrimination".
189. (March 13, 2021). "South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem Signs Religious Refusal Bill, Creating First Major RFRA Law In Six Years".
190. Brice-Saddler, Michael. (November 19, 2019). "'Meth. We're on it,' South Dakota says in ridiculed ad campaign that cost $449,000". [[The Washington Post]].
191. Stelloh, Tim. (November 18, 2019). "South Dakota: 'Meth. We're on it,' and we're sticking with anti-drug slogan". [[NBC News]].
192. (October 26, 2020). "Personal freedom not part of Noem's thinking on legal pot in South Dakota". Argus Leader.
193. (October 23, 2020). "South Dakota Governor Urges 'No' Vote On Marijuana Legalization Initiative In New Ad". Marijuana Moment.
194. (November 23, 2020). "South Dakota's recreational marijuana law to be challenged in court". [[MJBizDaily]].
195. (March 5, 2021). "Pot advocates cry foul on Noem using state funds for lawsuit". Associated Press.
196. Groves, Stephen. (February 8, 2021). "South Dakota judge rejects amendment legalizing marijuana". Associated Press.
197. (February 10, 2021). "Noem wants year delay to implement medical marijuana". [[KOTA-TV]].
198. Lurken, Billy. (March 11, 2021). "Bill To Delay Medical Marijuana In SD Fails In Senate".
199. (March 11, 2019). "Gov. Noem vetoes bill legalizing industrial hemp production". Associated Press.
200. (February 1, 2022). "HB 1048-make an appropriation to the Department of Game, Fish and Parks for expanding Custer State Park and to declare an emergency.". Legislative Research Council.
201. (January 20, 2022). "Private park owners not happy with S.D. governor's plan Custer State Park". rvtravel.com.
202. (January 21, 2022). "SD House committee kills school prayer bill". [[KOTA-TV]].
203. (January 21, 2022). "Noem's School Prayer Bill rejected by House Republicans".
204. (November 19, 2021). "South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem names fifth chief of staff". [[KELO-TV]].
205. (April 8, 2021). "Governor Noem names Aaron Sceibe as chief of staff".
206. (March 2, 2020). "Noem selects Venhuizen for chief of staff". [[South Dakota Public Broadcasting]].
207. (October 1, 2019). "Governor Noem gets new chief of staff". [[KEVN-LD]].
208. (November 26, 2018). "Kristi Noem Names 3 To Governor's Office Leadership Team". [[KELO-TV]].
209. Oprysko, Caitlin. (February 22, 2019). "South Dakota governor says Trump trade wars have 'devastated' the state". Politico.
210. (January 29, 2025). "American Resolve Policy Fund". causeiq.com.
211. (May 28, 2025). "American Resolve Policy Fund". [[ProPublica]].
212. (June 30, 2025). "Kristi Noem Secretly Took a Cut of Political Donations".
213. Collins, Kaitlan. (November 12, 2024). "Trump picks Kristi Noem to serve as his Homeland Security secretary". [[CNN]].
214. Diaz, Daniella. (January 17, 2025). "DHS Secretary nominee testifies in low-drama hearing".
215. Johnson, Chris. (January 20, 2025). "Senate panel advances Trump pick to lead Homeland Security". [[Roll Call]].
216. Barr, Luke. (January 26, 2025). "Kristi Noem confirmed as secretary of homeland security". ABC News.
217. "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Kristi Noem, of South Dakota, to be Secretary of Homeland Security)". U.S. Senate.
218. "Governor Rhoden Receives Governor Noem's Resignation Letter - News".
219. Groves, Stephen. (January 25, 2025). "Gov. Jeff Landry participates in Kristi Noem's swearing-in as Trump's homeland security pick". [[The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate]].
220. Dienst, Jonathan. (January 28, 2025). "Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem swoops into NYC for ICE raids". [[WNBC]].
221. "We are deploying every available US Coast Guard resource for search and rescue efforts in this horrific incident at DCA.".
222. Fischer, Jordan. (January 30, 2025). "Potomac plane crash rekindles memories of Air Florida Flight 90 tragedy". [[WUSA (TV)]].
223. (January 30, 2025). "Coast Guard 'deploying every available' resource for rescue ops in plane crash, says Homeland Security Secy". [[CNBC TV18]].
224. (2025). "Trump to send Venezuelans back to Maduro's repressive state". The Washington Post.
225. (March 21, 2025). "Homeland Security revokes temporary status for 532,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans". [[Associated Press]].
226. Bash, Dana. (February 9, 2025). "Noem: Goal is to hold migrants at Guantanamo temporarily, not 'weeks and months'". CNN.
227. (February 10, 2025). "Kristi Noem's 'Trust' Claim Ends In Head-Spinning Self-Own".
228. (February 10, 2025). "Kristi Noem warns the public that they can't trust the government - then is reminded that she is part of it".
229. (April 12, 2025). "Trump administration overrode Social Security staff to list immigrants as dead". The Washington Post.
230. (April 21, 2025). "Kristi Noem's purse, with $3K cash inside, snatched by thief during outing at DC restaurant".
231. Mather, Victor. (April 21, 2025). "Kristi Noem's Bag, With Security Badge and $3,000, Is Stolen". The New York Times.
232. (April 21, 2025). "Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's bag, including $3,000 in cash, is stolen from DC restaurant {{!}} CNN Politics". CNN.
233. (April 21, 2025). "Why Kristi Noem had $3,000 in cash in purse when it was stolen".
234. (April 21, 2025). "Kristi Noem has purse stolen from DC restaurant with Secret Service nearby". [[WRC-TV]].
235. Villagran, Lauren. "White House touts nearly 140,000 deportations, but data says roughly half actually deported".
236. Neuman, Scott. (May 20, 2025). "DHS secretary misstates meaning of habeas corpus under Senate scrutiny". NPR.
237. (May 20, 2025). "Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem struggles to define habeas corpus at Senate hearing". NBC News.
238. (May 20, 2025). "What Kristi Noem Gets Wrong About Habeas Corpus". Reason.
239. (May 22, 2025). "Trump administration halts Harvard's ability to enroll international students". [[The Guardian]].
240. (May 22, 2025). "Harvard University Loses Student and Exchange Visitor Program Certification for Pro-Terrorist Conduct". [[U.S. Department of Homeland Security]].
241. (June 12, 2025). "Sen. Alex Padilla of California forcibly removed from DHS news conference". The Washington Post.
242. (2025-11-14). "Firm Tied to Kristi Noem Secretly Got Money From $220 Million DHS Ad Contracts".
243. Dodds, Io. (2025-07-29). "‘ICE Barbie’ Kristie Noem dons favorite cowboy gear as she visits Argentina to work on new visa deal". The Independent.
244. Coen, Susie. (17 April 2025). "Donald Trump’s ‘ICE Barbie’ is ruffling feathers". The Telegraph.
245. (August 21, 2025). "Have 1.6 million undocumented immigrants left the U.S. this year? Researchers say it's too soon to know.". CBS News.
246. Mehta, Seema. (2025-12-12). "Kristi Noem grilled over L.A. Purple Heart Army vet who self-deported".
247. Kim, Juliana. (2025-06-24). "Purple Heart Army veteran self-deports after nearly 50 years in the U.S.". NPR.
248. Knodell, Kevin. (2025-12-13). "Kristi Noem grilled over Purple Heart Army veteran forced to self-deport".
249. (2025-12-17). "Noem faces impeachment calls after Korean American vet’s deportation".
250. Gambino, Lauren. (2026-01-14). "Democratic lawmakers file articles of impeachment against Kristi Noem". The Guardian.
251. (2026-01-15). "Illinois Congresswoman Robin Kelly files articles of impeachment for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem - CBS Chicago".
252. "2022 General Election Official State Canvass Results". South Dakota Secretary of State.
253. (June 14, 2022). "2022 Primary Election Official State Canvass Results". South Dakota Secretary of State.
254. (June 5, 2018). "State of South Dakota Secretary of State Official Election Results".
255. (November 4, 2014). "2014 South Dakota Official Election Returns and Registration Figures". South Dakota Secretary of State.
256. "Secretary of State – Statewide Races". South Dakota Secretary of State.
257. (December 14, 2020). "Noem sent letters a week ago bowing out as one of South Dakota's presidential electors". [[KELO-TV]].
258. (November 5, 2019). "State of South Dakota Certificate of Vote".
259. Mercer, Bob. (December 13, 2020). "Lederman in, Noem out as S.D. Trump elector". [[KELO-TV]].
260. Burns, Katelyn. (November 8, 2020). "GOP lawmakers are refusing to acknowledge the reality that Biden won the election". Vox.
261. (December 8, 2020). "Noem Acknowledges Incoming Biden Administration During Budget Address With A Warning". [[South Dakota Public Broadcasting]].
262. (December 8, 2020). "Noem warns of economic slowdown with Biden in White House, poses $5B budget".
263. Groves, Stephen. (January 28, 2021). "Noem refuses to say whether Biden victory was free and fair". [[Associated Press]].
264. (January 6, 2021). "Governor Noem tweets violence in Washington 'right now must stop'". [[KELO-TV]].
265. (January 6, 2021). "South Dakota delegation waits out 'violent, lawless' riot at Capitol Hill". [[Argus Leader]].
266. [https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-georgia-south-dakota-elections-campaigns-18545b40a5490cd9dc5b65788993a993 South Dakota governor calls new Georgia senators communists] {{Webarchive. link. (February 2, 2022 , Associated Press (January 9, 2021).)
267. (April 24, 2023). "Which 2024 Republican Presidential Candidate Has The Most Endorsements?". [[FiveThirtyEight]].
268. (September 8, 2023). "Gov. Kristi Noem endorses Trump as he visits South Dakota". [[Associated Press]].
269. (March 18, 2024). "Trump calls Noem to podium at Ohio rally, comments on her appearance". South Dakota Searchlight.
270. (March 16, 2024). "Gov. Noem Campaigns with Donald Trump in Ohio". [[C-SPAN]].
271. Smith, David. (January 2, 2023). "2024 Veepstakes: who will Donald Trump choose as his running mate?". The Guardian.
272. Fortinsky, Sarah. (September 7, 2023). "Noem says she would be Trump's running mate 'in a heartbeat'". [[The Hill (newspaper).
273. Isenstadt, Alex. (February 24, 2024). "CPAC straw poll results: Who should be Trump's VP pick?". Politico.
274. Bender, Michael C.. (February 24, 2024). "Kristi Noem and Vivek Ramaswamy Are CPAC's Choices for Trump's Running Mate". [[The New York Times]].
275. Ray, Siladitya. "'All Solid': Trump Acknowledges VP Shortlist That Includes Former Primary Rivals".
276. (March 22, 2024). "Trump's vice presidential shortlist is very long — and in flux". [[CNN]].
277. Palmeri, Tara. (April 12, 2024). "Midnight at Mar-a-Lago".
278. Hartmann, Margaret. (April 12, 2024). "Who's the Trump VP Pick? Latest Odds for Every Shortlist Candidate.".
279. Adegoke, Favour. (April 29, 2024). "Donald Trump 'Disappointed' In 'Puppy Killer' Kristi Noem As She Loses Shot At Being VP Pick".
280. (June 6, 2024). "Trump's VP search accelerates". NBC News.
281. Hayworth, Bret. (January 2, 2011). "Kristi Noem a 'fit for the times' as she takes office". [[Sioux City Journal]].
282. (2017). "Religious affiliation of members of 115th Congress". [[Pew Research Center]].
283. Woster, Kevin. (March 16, 2018). "The Bible and the law: finding a moral compass in the race for governor". [[South Dakota Public Broadcasting]].
284. (January 25, 2025). "Kristi Noem". Department of Homeland Security.
285. (September 28, 2021). "Kristi Noem Shows Why Republicans Can't Have Nice Things". Center forAmerican Greatness.
286. (October 11, 2021). "How the Noem-Lewandowski rumors became news". Neal Ronquist.
287. Cillizza, Chris. (September 30, 2021). "2024 came early for Kristi Noem. And not in a good way.". CNN.
288. (September 30, 2021). "South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem dismisses conservative website's claims of extramarital affair with former Trump adviser". The Washington Post.
289. (May 2, 2024). "Kristi Noem's VP chances appear as dead as the dog she killed. There are other reasons too.". Politico.
290. (September 18, 2023). "Stories of Gov. Kristi Noem's personal life distracting from real challenges, insiders say". Sioux Falls Live.
291. (September 20, 2023). "Noem spokesman: 'The allegation of an affair is false'". [[Mitchell Daily Republic]].
292. Ben Terris. (September 22, 2025). "Top Goon: Kristi Noem is the face of Trump's police state. Corey Lewandowski is the muscle. Who really runs DHS?". [[New York (magazine).
293. (March 13, 2024). "South Dakota gov. promotes work on her teeth by Texas dentist in infomercial-style social media post". Associated Press.
294. The Week UK. (December 4, 2024). "Mar-a-Lago face: the Maga plastic surgery trend".
295. Friedman, Vanessa. (March 20, 2024). "The Trumpification of Kristi Noem". The New York Times.
296. Hartford, Johanna. (February 28, 2025). "5 Political Pundits Who May Have Inspired Tik Tok's Shady Republican Makeup Trend".
297. Chase, Benjamin. (August 30, 2024). "Noem inducted into DAR". [[News Media Corporation]].
298. "South Dakota Gov. Noem admits error of describing meeting Kim Jong Un in new book". ABC News.
299. Pengelly, Martin. (April 26, 2024). "Trump VP contender Kristi Noem writes of killing dog – and goat – in new book". [[The Guardian]].
300. Pengelly, Martin. (May 2, 2024). "Kristi Noem calls dog shooting report 'fake news' but insists on need to kill animal". [[The Guardian]].
301. (May 11, 2024). "The Kristi Noem Dog-Killing Story Is Actually Worse in Context". [[Intelligencer (website).
302. (April 26, 2024}}
     
     {{cite news). "Kristi Noem describes killing dog after bad hunting trip in new book". [[The Hill (newspaper).
303. Yousif, Nadine. (April 26, 2024}}
     
     {{Cite news). "Trump VP contender Kristi Noem defends killing her dog". [[BBC News]].
304. (April 29, 2024). "Politicians and dog experts vilify South Dakota governor after she writes about killing her dog". Associated Press.
305. (May 3, 2024). "Kristi Noem just won't stop talking about killing her dog". [[The Washington Post]].
306. (April 26, 2024). "South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem defends 'tough decisions' like killing own dog in her new book". [[NBC News]].
307. (April 27, 2024). "'You can't shoot your dog and then be VP': Dems, GOP bash Kristi Noem over memoir". [[Politico]].
308. (April 27, 2024). "Democrats, political figures dogpile onto Trump VP hopeful after story of animal killings". [[The Washington Post]].
309. (May 4, 2024). "Republican group in Colorado cancels Kristi Noem fundraiser due to 'death threats' amid backlash over her memoir". NBC News.
310. (May 5, 2024). "Kristi Noem Suggests Biden's Dog Should Have Been Killed, Too". [[The New York Times]].
311. (May 5, 2024). "Noem suggests Biden's dog Commander should suffer a similar fate to Cricket, the dog she shot". [[CNN]].
312. (May 5, 2024). "Trump VP hopeful Kristi Noem suggests Biden's dog Commander should also be put down". [[CNBC]].
313. (May 5, 2024). "Trump's VP hopeful suggests Biden's dog should be shot like hers".
314. (May 3, 2024). "Kristi Noem's New Book Falsely Says She Met Kim Jong-un". [[The New York Times]].
315. (May 3, 2024). "South Dakota Gov. Noem admits error of describing meeting North Korea's Kim Jong Un in new book". [[Associated Press]].
316. (May 11, 2024). "French official disputes passage about Emmanuel Macron in Kristi Noem's book". [[NBC News]].
317. Charles, Ron. (May 10, 2024). "Kristi Noem's dog killing is pure Southern gothic". [[The Washington Post]].
318. (June 8, 2010). "2010 South Dakota Official Primary Election Results". South Dakota Secretary of State.
319. King, Ledyard. (March 10, 2011). "Balanced budget push renewed in D.C.". [[Argus Leader]].
320. Ellis, Jonathan. (June 9, 2010). "U.S. House: State Rep. Kristi Noem to face Herseth Sandlin in historic clash, Political newcomer beats odds". [[Argus Leader]].
321. A [[backronym]] based on "Keeping Republican Ideas Strong, Timely and Inventive"
322. Bendavid, Naftali. (November 18, 2010). "GOP Elevates Some New Faces". [[The Wall Street Journal]].
323. Woster, Kevin. (March 20, 2011). "Rough road ahead in Congress for Johnson wilderness plan". [[Rapid City Journal]].
324. Ellis, Jonathan. (October 9, 2010). "Kristi Noem's stance on Buffalo Gap draws ire from unexpected source". [[Argus Leader]].
325. Tupper, Seth. (April 1, 2011). "South Dakota's Rep. Noem does not name cuts when questioned". [[Forum Communications]].
326. (March 31, 2011). "Noem wants to expand offshore energy production". [[KEVN-LD]].
327. Willis, Derek. (March 8, 2011). "G.O.P. Freshmen Forming Leadership PACs". [[The New York Times]].
328. Montgomery, David. (March 24, 2010). "Thune, Noem want answers on Libya". [[Rapid City Journal]].
329. Woster, Kevin. (July 9, 2010). "Poll: Herseth Sandlin gains back ground, but Noem still leads in House race". [[Rapid City Journal]].
330. Miller, Emily. (February 14, 2011). "Rep. Kristi Noem: Head of the Class". [[Human Events]].
331. "Kristi Noem".
332. T.W. Farnam. (April 20, 2011). "The Influence Industry: New Republicans play an old fundraising game". The Washington Post.
333. (April 1, 2011). "Noem seeks off-shore oil drilling". Rapid City Journal.
334. Lawrence, Tom. (March 11, 2011). "S.D. Rep. Noem pushes for big cuts in federal spending". [[Forum Communications]].
335. Woster, Kevin.. (March 1, 2010). "Long after abortion wars, resentment toward Chris Nelson lingers". [[Rapid City Journal]].
336. Montgomery, David. (January 20, 2011). "Noem, Republicans say replacement health care proposals on the way". Lee Enterprises.
337. Ross, Denise. (May 13, 2011). "South Dakota Rep. Noem joins Thune in opposing end to oil tax breaks". Mitchell Republic.
338. Herszenhorn, David M.. (January 19, 2011). "House Votes for Repeal of Health Law in Symbolic Act". [[The New York Times]].
339. (March 8, 2011). "Noem starts leadership PAC". Lee Enterprises.
340. Woster, Kevin. (May 9, 2010). "Noem ad: poignant or political?". [[Rapid City Journal]].
341. Isenstadt, Alex. (March 15, 2011). "Freshmen enroll in PACs 101". [[Politico]].
342. (October 22, 2010). "Election 2010: South Dakota House of Representatives: Noem (R) Takes Slightly Larger Lead Over Herseth-Sandlin (D)".
343. Cook, Andrea. (May 23, 2010). "Schools step in to rescue dropouts". Rapid City Journal.
344. Montgomery, David. (April 17, 2011). "Noem pitches need for budget cuts to veterans". Rapid City Journal.
345. Brady, Jessica. (March 2, 2011). "NRCC Expanding Regional Team in 2012 Noem, Pompeo Among Members With Regions". [[Congressional Quarterly.
346. Wood, Issac. (June 10, 2010). "House Primary Update". [[Sabato's Crystal Ball]].
347. O'Brien, Michael. (November 17, 2010). "House elects Reps Noem, Scott to leadership". Capitol Hill Publishing Corp..
348. Bolton, Alexander. (January 1, 2011). "A new order: House power players to watch in the 112th Congress". Capitol Hill Publishing Corp..
349. Bahr, Jeff. (February 3, 2011). "Snow Queen title meant opportunity for Noem". Aberdeen News.
350. (October 26, 2010). "40 Under 40".
351. (June 25, 2010). "GOP House candidate wants to stop Democrat plans". [[KSFY-TV]] ABC.
352. (June 8, 2010). "Noem Wins South Dakota's GOP Primary for U.S. House Seat". Fox News.
353. Wischmeyer, Beth. (March 29, 2011). "Reaction to speech splits along party lines". [[Argus Leader]].