Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Kristi Noem

Discover the career path of Kristi Noem, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Kristi Noem is an American politician and Air Force Auxiliary officer. A Republican, she served as the 33rd governor of South Dakota from 2019 to 2025. Before becoming governor, Noem represented South Dakota's at-large congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019. Since 2025 she has served as the 8th United States secretary of homeland security.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

2006: Elected to South Dakota House of Representatives

In 2006, Kristi Noem was elected as a Republican to the South Dakota House of Representatives for the 6th district with 39% of the vote.

2007: Served in South Dakota House of Representatives

In 2007, Kristi Noem began serving in the South Dakota House of Representatives.

2008: Re-elected to South Dakota House of Representatives

In 2008, Kristi Noem was re-elected to the South Dakota House of Representatives with 41% of the vote.

2009: Served as Vice Chair of Agriculture Land Assessment Advisory Task Force

In 2009, Kristi Noem served as vice chair of the Agriculture Land Assessment Advisory Task Force.

2010: Supported Ending Deepwater Drilling Moratorium

In 2010, Kristi Noem co-sponsored 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.

2010: Ended Serving in South Dakota House of Representatives

In 2010, Kristi Noem concluded her service in the South Dakota House of Representatives.

2010: Elected to U.S. House of Representatives

In 2010, Kristi Noem was elected to South Dakota's at-large seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

March 8, 2011: Formation of KRISTI PAC

On March 8, 2011, Kristi Noem announced the formation of a leadership political action committee, KRISTI PAC.

March 2011: Elected as Liaison to House Republican Leadership

In March 2011, Kristi Noem was elected as liaison to the House Republican leadership by the freshman class.

2011: Ended Service in South Dakota House

In 2011, Kristi Noem concluded her service in the South Dakota House of Representatives.

2011: Move to Washington D.C.

In 2011, Kristi Noem moved to Washington to take her congressional office, while her family continued to live on a ranch near Castlewood, South Dakota.

2011: Represented South Dakota in U.S. House of Representatives

In 2011, Kristi Noem represented South Dakota's at-large congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives.

2011: Voted on the Budget Control Act

In 2011, Kristi Noem voted for S. 365, The Budget Control Act of 2011, which allowed Obama to raise the debt ceiling in exchange for spending cuts. She also expressed her desire to eliminate the estate tax, lower the corporate tax rate, and simplify the tax code.

2012: Named Regional Director for NRCC

In 2012, Kristi Noem was named one of the 12 regional directors for the National Republican Congressional Committee by Representative Pete Sessions.

2013: Served on House Armed Services Committee

In 2013, Kristi Noem began serving on the House Armed Services Committee.

2014: Worked on National Defense Authorization Act

In 2014, Kristi Noem worked on the National Defense Authorization Act as part of the House Armed Services Committee.

2015: Ended Service on House Armed Services Committee

In 2015, Kristi Noem finished serving on the House Armed Services Committee.

November 2016: Announced Candidacy for Governor

In November 2016, Kristi Noem announced she would run for governor of South Dakota in 2018 rather than seek reelection to Congress.

2017: Negotiated Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

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

2018: Pitched Online Sales Tax Bill

In 2018, Kristi Noem pitched her online sales tax bill to members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.

2018: Elected as Governor of South Dakota

In 2018, Kristi Noem was elected as Governor of South Dakota.

2018: Elected as First Female Governor of South Dakota

In 2018, Kristi Noem was elected as the first female governor of South Dakota, with the endorsement of President Donald Trump.

2018: Made Government Transparency Part of Her Platform

While running for governor in 2018, Kristi Noem made government transparency part of her platform.

January 5, 2019: Sworn in as Governor

On January 5, 2019, Kristi Noem was sworn in as governor of South Dakota, becoming the first woman in that office in the state.

October 1, 2019: Josh Shields Preceded Venhuizen

Josh Shields preceded Tony Venhuizen as chief of staff from October 1, 2019, to January 1, 2020.

2019: Served as Governor of South Dakota

From 2019, Kristi Noem served as the 33rd governor of South Dakota.

2019: Consented to South Dakota's Participation in Refugee Resettlement Program

In 2019, Kristi Noem consented to South Dakota's participation in the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program following a Trump executive order.

2019: Left Congress

In 2019, Kristi Noem left Congress after serving since 2011.

2019: Abolishment of Concealed Handgun Permit Requirement

In 2019, Kristi Noem signed a bill into law that abolished South Dakota's permit requirement to carry a concealed handgun.

2019: Veto of Hemp Legalization Bill

In 2019, Kristi Noem vetoed a bill that passed the South Dakota House and Senate to legalize hemp cultivation, expressing concerns about undermining drug law enforcement.

January 1, 2020: Josh Shields' Term Ends

Josh Shields' term as chief of staff ended on January 1, 2020.

March 2, 2020: Tony Venhuizen Preceded Scheibe

Tony Venhuizen preceded Aaron Scheibe as chief of staff from March 2, 2020, to April 23, 2021.

August 2020: Speech at the Republican National Convention

Kristi Noem gave a speech at the August 2020 Republican National Convention, which elevated her national profile, rewarding her for her COVID-19 response. The Argus Leader called the RNC speech a "defining moment in her political career".

March 8, 2021: Announcement of Women's Fairness in Sports Bill

On March 8, 2021, Kristi Noem announced on Twitter her intent to sign into law H.B. 1217, the Women's Fairness in Sports Bill, which aimed to ban transgender athletes from women's school and college sports teams.

April 23, 2021: Aaron Scheibe Served as Chief of Staff

Aaron Scheibe served as chief of staff from May 1 to April 23, 2021.

July 1, 2021: Medical Marijuana Legalization

Despite attempts to delay its implementation, medical marijuana became legal in South Dakota on July 1, 2021.

November 2021: Announced Run for Re-election as Governor

In November 2021, Kristi Noem announced that she was running for reelection as governor of South Dakota.

November 19, 2021: Appointment of Mark Miller as Chief of Staff

On November 19, 2021, Kristi Noem named Mark Miller as her fifth chief of staff, replacing Aaron Scheibe.

December 2021: Support for "An Act to Protect Fairness in women's sports."

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

2021: Signing of Religious Refusal Bill

In 2021, Kristi Noem signed a religious refusal bill into law, amending 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.

February 2022: Jamie Smith Announced Candidacy

In February 2022, House Democratic Minority Leader Jamie Smith announced he was seeking the Democratic nomination for governor.

2022: Published "Not My First Rodeo: Lessons from the Heartland"

In 2022, Kristi Noem published her autobiography, "Not My First Rodeo: Lessons from the Heartland".

March 2024: Promotion of Cosmetic Dentist

In March 2024, Noem shared a video promoting Smile Texas, a cosmetic dentist, stating they helped her after losing her front teeth in a biking accident. She has since been identified as an example of "Mar-a-Lago face."

November 12, 2024: Noem Selected as Secretary of Homeland Security

On November 12, 2024, President-elect Trump selected Kristi Noem to serve as Secretary of Homeland Security in his second term.

2024: Published "No Going Back"

In 2024, Kristi Noem published her autobiography, "No Going Back", which sparked controversy.

No Going Back: The Truth on What's Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward

Check it on Amazon

January 2025: Confirmed as Secretary of Homeland Security

In January 2025, Kristi Noem was confirmed as Secretary of Homeland Security by a Senate vote of 59–34.

January 17, 2025: Confirmation Hearing for Secretary of Homeland Security

On January 17, 2025, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs held a confirmation hearing for Kristi Noem to serve as Secretary of Homeland Security.

January 25, 2025: Swearing-In as Secretary of Homeland Security

After resigning as governor of South Dakota, Kristi Noem was sworn in as Secretary of Homeland Security on January 25, 2025, by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

January 28, 2025: Raid on Illegal Immigrants in New York City

On the early morning of January 28, 2025, Kristi Noem led a raid with federal law enforcement agencies on illegal immigrants in New York City. A video of the raid was posted on X.

February 2025: Interview with Dana Bash

In February 2025, Kristi Noem was interviewed by CNN host Dana Bash, discussing the new administration's policies and the Department of Homeland Security. She addressed the use of Guantanamo Bay for migrants and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)'s access to sensitive data.

March 2025: Revocation of Legal Protections

In March 2025, Kristi Noem revoked legal protections for 532,000 people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela who had settled in the U.S. since 2022.

2025: Appointed as Secretary of Homeland Security

In 2025, Kristi Noem became the 8th United States Secretary of Homeland Security.

2025: Response to Potomac River Collision

In 2025, after the Potomac River mid-air collision, Kristi Noem deployed U.S. Coast Guard resources for search and rescue efforts as Secretary of Homeland Security.

2025: Imagining Becoming President

In her memoir, Noem imagined herself becoming president in 2025 and suggested that Joe Biden's dog, Commander, should be killed, referencing her prior killing of Cricket.