Kristi Lynn Noem is a famous and influential American politician who is serving as the 33rd Governor of South Dakota since 2019. She is the first female representative to be elected to the office of Governor of South Dakota.
Noem is a member of the Republican Party and served in the United States House of Representatives for South Dakota’s at-large congressional district from 2011 to 2019.
She also served as a member of the South Dakota House of Representatives from 2007 to 2010.
Kristi Noem Biography
| Full Name: | Kristi Lynn Noem |
| Profession: | American Politician |
| Best Known for: | 33rd Governor of South Dakota |
| Party: | Republican |
| Born: | November 30, 1971 in Watertown, South Dakota, USA |
| Age: | 52 Years |
| Height: | 5 Feet 7 inches (170cm) |
| Education: | B.A, South Dakota State University (SDSU) |
| Marital Status: | Married |
| Spouse: | Brian Noem |
| Children: | 3 |
| Nationality: | American |
Early life, Education and Family Background
Kristi Noem was born on November 30, 1971 in Watertown, South Dakota, into a Norwegian family. She was brought up by his parents Ron Noem and Corinne Arnold.
Noem studied at Hamlin High School. After this, she enrolled at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota in 1990, where she studied political science. However, she did not graduate and left college early to run the family farm.
Noem later earned a bachelor’s degree in political science at Mount Marty College’s Watertown campus and South Dakota State University (SDSU) through online learning.
Rise in Politics
Noem’s political career started in 2006. Her increasing candidacy in local level politics led him to run for election to the South Dakota House of Representatives.
In 2006, Noem contested the South Dakota House of Representatives election on behalf of the Republican Party and was successful in winning with 39% of the vote.
She served in the South Dakota House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011 as the representative for the Sixth District which included parts of Beadle, Clark, Codington, Hamlin and Kingsbury counties.
US House of Representatives
In 2010, Noem was elected to serve as South Dakota’s lone member of the U.S. House of Representatives. She defeated South Dakota Secretary of State Chris Nelson in this election. She was re-elected for three more terms in 2012, 2014 and 2016.
During her time in Congress, Noem worked on a variety of issues and legislation. She helped pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which she promoted as giving a $1,200 tax cut to the average South Dakota family.
Apart from this, she made important contributions on issues like agricultural issues, tax reform and conservative values. She also focused on energy and environmental issues, including renewable energies such as wind and ethanol. She was a supporter of the Keystone XL pipeline and offshore oil drilling.
Governor of South Dakota (2018–Present)
In 2018, Kristi Noem was elected as the first female governor of South Dakota. She won this election by defeating Democratic candidate Noem. In this election, she had the full support of former President Donald Trump.
During her first term, she focused on building strong families and keeping South Dakota “open for business” while respecting people’s rights to make decisions for themselves and their communities.
She has been a staunch advocate for protecting southerners against tax increases, government growth, federal overreach, and government secrecy.
Her leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic drew national attention for her approach to balancing public health concerns with economic considerations.
In 2022, Noem was re-elected as governor, receiving the largest number of votes in South Dakota’s history for any Republican candidate.
Book Published
In addition to her political career, Noem is also a published author. In 2022, she released his first autobiography, “Not My First Rodeo: Lessons from the Heartland”.
Today i.e. on 7 May 2024, she has published his second autobiography named “No Going Back” in which she has mentioned the good and bad days, challenges, painful decisions etc. of her life.
In this book, she also shares a personal incident in which she shot and killed his 14-month-old young dog, “Cricket”, due to which she has to face a lot of criticism.
Kristi Noem’s Net worth
Kristi Noem’s net worth is currently estimated to be around $19 million. Her name is included in the list of the richest governors in America.
According to IRS documents, she earns $3.6 million per year through business and investments. She has invested in many famous companies like Pfizer, Amazon, Tesla, Walmart and Nike.
Noem owns 11 properties in South Dakota, Illinois and Minnesota. These properties consist of three commercial structures and eight residential houses and villas. She earns $225,000 annually from rent from these properties.
Additionally, Noem also owns 700 acres of farmland in Iowa, which she purchased at a throwaway price from a Republican donor.
Personal Life
Kristi Noem’s husband’s name is Brian Noem. They were married in 1992. They have three children, Cassidy, Kennedy and Booker. She lives in Castlewood, South Dakota.
Conclusion
Overall, Kristi Noem has been a prominent figure within the GOP. She is one of Donald Trump’s biggest allies and always remains in the headlines due to her outspoken views. She is also the upcoming Vice Presidential candidate of the Republican Party, which also includes names like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott and Ohio Senator JD Vance.
