Kristi Noem

Kristi Lynn Noem known as Kristi Noem (/noʊm/ NOHM; née Arnold; born November 30, 1971) is an American politician who has served since 2019 as the 33rd governor of South Dakota. A member of the Republican Party, she was the U.S. representative for South Dakota’s at-large congressional district from 2011 to 2019, and a member of the South Dakota House of Representatives for the 6th district from 2007 to 2011.

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Kristi Noem
United States Secretary of Homeland Security
Nominee
Assuming office TBD
President	Donald Trump (elect)
Succeeding	Alejandro Mayorkas
33rd Governor of South Dakota
Incumbent
Assumed office January 5, 2019
Lieutenant	Larry Rhoden
Preceded by	Dennis Daugaard
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Dakota’s at-large district
In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2019
Preceded by	Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
Succeeded by	Dusty Johnson
Member of the South Dakota House of Representatives from the 6th district
In office January 9, 2007 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Art Fryslie
Succeeded by	Burt Tulson
Personal details
Born	Kristi Lynn Arnold November 30, 1971 (age 52) Watertown, South Dakota, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Bryon Noem ​ (m. 1992)​
Children	3
Residence	Governor’s Residence
Alma mater	South Dakota State University (BA)
Signature

First elected governor in 2018, Noem is South Dakota’s first female governor. During the 2018 election, she was endorsed by President Donald Trump. As governor, Noem rose to national prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic over her refusal to issue a statewide mandate to wear face masks.

Living in rural South Dakota, Noem is also a farmer and a rancher. She published her first autobiography, Not My First Rodeo: Lessons from the Heartland, in 2022. Her second, No Going Back (2024), ignited controversy over her killing of a family dog. On 12th November 2024, she was tapped by president-elect Donald Trump to serve as the secretary for the Department of Homeland Security in his incoming government.

Kristi Noem was born to Ron and Corinne Arnold in Watertown, South Dakota, and was raised with her siblings on their family ranch and farm in rural Hamlin County. She has Norwegian ancestry. In 1990, Noem graduated from Hamlin High School and was crowned South Dakota Snow Queen. Her father was killed in a farm machinery accident in 1994.

Noem attended Northern State University from 1990 to 1994, but did not graduate. Her daughter, Kassidy, was born on April 21, 1994. Noem left college early to run the family farm. 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 (SDSU), and online classes from the University of South Dakota. She completed her BA in political science at SDSU in 2012 while serving in Congress; The Washington Post dubbed her Capitol Hill’s “most powerful intern” for receiving college intern credits from her position as a member of Congress.

She married Bryon Noem in 1992, in Watertown, South Dakota. They have three children. In 2011, when Noem moved to Washington 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, South Dakota.

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 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!”.

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. In 2008, she was reelected with 41% of the vote.

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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.