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 who has served as the 8th United States Secretary of Homeland Security since 2025. A Republican, she was the 33rd governor of South Dakota from 2019 to 2025. Prior to her governorship, Noem represented South Dakota's at-large congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2019. Her career reflects a progression through different levels of government service.
2006: Elected to South Dakota House of Representatives
In 2006, Kristi Noem was elected as a Republican to the South Dakota House of Representatives, representing the 6th district, earning 39% of the vote.
2007: Started Serving in South Dakota House of Representatives
Kristi Noem began serving in the South Dakota House of Representatives in 2007.
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: 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.
August 2010: Opposed Embryonic Stem-Cell Research
In August 2010, while running for Congress, Kristi Noem indicated she would vote to ban embryonic stem-cell research.
2010: Ran for U.S. House of Representatives
In 2010, Kristi Noem ran for South Dakota's at-large seat in the U.S. House of Representatives and won the Republican primary.
2010: Supported Keystone XL Pipeline
In 2010, Kristi Noem supported the Keystone XL Pipeline.
2010: End of Term in South Dakota House of Representatives
In 2010, Kristi Noem's four-year term in the South Dakota House of Representatives concluded.
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: Criticized Obama's Approach to Libyan Intervention
In March 2011, Kristi Noem criticized President Barack Obama's approach to the NATO-led military intervention in the 2011 Libyan civil war, calling for more information about the U.S.'s role.
March 2011: Elected Liaison to House Republican Leadership
In March 2011, Kristi Noem was elected by the 2011 House Republican freshman class as liaison to the House Republican leadership, becoming the second woman member of the House GOP leadership.
2011: Voted for Budget Control Act of 2011
In 2011, Kristi Noem indicated that she would vote to raise the federal debt ceiling if it was tied to budget reforms. She ultimately voted for S. 365, The Budget Control Act of 2011.
2011: Move to Washington
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: Sponsored measure to block EPA funding
In 2011, Kristi Noem sponsored a measure to block Environmental Protection Agency funding for tighter air pollution standards for coarse particulates.
2012: Named Regional Director for NRCC
In March 2011, Representative Pete Sessions named Kristi Noem one of the 12 regional directors for the National Republican Congressional Committee for the 2012 election campaign.
2013: Served on House Armed Services Committee
From 2013 to 2015, Kristi Noem served on the House Armed Services Committee, working on the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act.
2014: Worked on 2014 National Defense Authorization Act
From 2013 to 2015, Kristi Noem served on the House Armed Services Committee, where she worked on the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act.
2015: Served on House Armed Services Committee
From 2013 to 2015, Kristi Noem served on the House Armed Services Committee, working on the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act.
2015: Co-sponsored bill to amend the 14th Amendment
In 2015, Kristi Noem co-sponsored a bill to amend the 14th Amendment to define human life and personhood as beginning at fertilization, effectively banning abortion from that moment.
November 2016: Announced Run for Governor of South Dakota
In November 2016, Kristi Noem announced her candidacy for governor of South Dakota in the 2018 election, choosing not to seek reelection to Congress.
2017: Supported Trump's Executive Order 13769
In 2017, Kristi Noem supported President Donald Trump's 2017 Executive Order 13769, which temporarily suspended the U.S. refugee program and banned travel from several Muslim-majority countries.
2017: Negotiated Passage of the 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 would give the average South Dakota family a $1,200 tax cut.
2018: Pitched Online Sales Tax Bill
In 2018, Kristi Noem pitched the idea to members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus to attach her online sales tax bill to the government funding package.
2018: Elected Governor of South Dakota
In 2018, Kristi Noem was elected as the first female governor of South Dakota.
2018: Government Transparency Part of Platform
While running for governor in 2018, Kristi Noem made government transparency part of her platform.
January 5, 2019: Sworn in as Governor of South Dakota
On January 5, 2019, Kristi Noem was sworn in as governor of South Dakota, becoming the first woman to hold that office in the state.
October 1, 2019: Josh Shields Becomes Chief of Staff
On October 1, 2019, Josh Shields became chief of staff.
2019: Consented to South Dakota's Participation in U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program
In 2019, Kristi Noem consented to South Dakota's participation in the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program after a Trump executive order that allowed state and local governments to opt out.
2019: Signed Bills Restricting Abortion
In 2019, Kristi Noem signed bills restricting abortion, stating they would "crack down on abortion providers in South Dakota".
2019: Signed Anti-Protest Legislation
In 2019, Kristi Noem signed into law anti-protest legislation developed in collaboration with TransCanada Corporation in response to protests against the Keystone Pipeline.
2019: Abolishment of concealed handgun permit requirement
In 2019, Noem signed a bill into law abolishing South Dakota's permit requirement to carry a concealed handgun.
2019: End of Service in Congress
Kristi Noem served in Congress until 2019, after being reelected three times.
January 1, 2020: Josh Shields Resigns as Chief of Staff
On January 1, 2020, Josh Shields left position as chief of staff.
March 2, 2020: Tony Venhuizen Becomes Chief of Staff
On March 2, 2020, Tony Venhuizen became Noem's chief of staff, succeeding Josh Shields.
August 2020: Speech at Republican National Convention
In August 2020, Kristi Noem was rewarded for her COVID-19 response with a speech at the Republican National Convention, which elevated her national profile.
2020: Repealed and Clarified Anti-Riot Legislation
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".
2020: Trump-Pence Ticket Victory in South Dakota
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 as one of Trump's presidential electors but later withdrew.
March 8, 2021: Announcement of Women's Fairness in Sports Bill
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 participating in women's school and college sports teams. The bill faced criticism due to potential economic repercussions.
April 23, 2021: Aaron Scheibe Becomes Chief of Staff
On April 23, 2021, Aaron Scheibe replaced Tony Venhuizen to become Noem's chief of staff.
July 1, 2021: Medical Marijuana Legalization
On July 1, 2021, medical marijuana became legal in South Dakota after efforts to delay its implementation failed.
November 2021: Announced Re-election Campaign for 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, Noem appointed Mark Miller as her fifth chief of staff, replacing Aaron Scheibe, who had served since May 1, 2021.
December 2021: Support for Bill to Protect Fairness in Women's Sports
In December 2021, Noem and her office indicated their support for a bill called "An Act to Protect Fairness in women's sports," which would require young athletes to join teams aligned with their sex assigned at birth.
2021: Signing of Religious Refusal Bill
In 2021, Noem signed a religious refusal bill into law, amending the state RFRA to allow business owners to deny products or services based on religious beliefs related to sexual orientation or gender identity. The legislation, S.B. 124, was criticized by civil rights groups for potentially enabling discrimination.
February 2022: Jamie Smith announced Seeking Democratic Nomination
In February 2022, House Democratic Minority Leader Jamie Smith announced he was seeking the Democratic nomination.
September 2023: Endorsement of Trump in Republican Primaries
In September 2023, Noem endorsed Trump in the 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries at a rally in Rapid City, South Dakota.
September 2023: Openness to Serve as Trump's Running Mate
In September 2023, Noem stated that she would agree to serve as Trump's running mate "in a heartbeat" when asked on Newsmax.
2023: Opposed Subsidized Child Care
In 2023, Kristi Noem opposed subsidized child care, stating, "I just don't think it's the government's job to pay or to raise people's children for them".
February 2024: Tied as Top Choice for Trump's Running Mate
At the February 2024 CPAC conference, Noem tied with Vivek Ramaswamy as attendees' top choice for Trump's running mate, each receiving 15% of the vote in a straw poll.
March 2024: Trump Acknowledges Noem as Potential Running Mate
In March 2024, CNN reported that Trump had shown increased interest in Noem as his running mate.
March 2024: Appearance at Trump Rally in Ohio
In March 2024, Trump invited Noem to appear with him at a rally in Vandalia, Ohio.
April 2024: Reversed Support for Federal Abortion Ban
In April 2024, Kristi Noem announced that she had reversed her support for a federal ban on abortion, stating her belief that abortion law should be determined at the state level.
April 2024: Waning Odds of Being Selected as Trump's Running Mate
In April 2024, it was reported that Noem's chances of being selected as Trump's running mate had decreased due to her stance on abortion and the controversial content in her book, "No Going Back".
November 12, 2024: Noem Selected as Secretary of Homeland Security
On November 12, 2024, President-elect Trump selected Noem to serve as Secretary of Homeland Security in his second term.
January 17, 2025: Confirmation Hearing
On January 17, 2025, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs held a confirmation hearing for Noem.
January 25, 2025: Sworn in as Secretary of Homeland Security
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.
April 2025: Deportation Numbers Claimed by Trump Administration
As of April 2025, the Trump administration claimed that approximately 140,000 people had been deported, though some estimates placed the actual number around half of that.
2025: Deployment of Coast Guard Resources after Potomac River Collision
After the 2025 Potomac River mid-air collision, Noem deployed U.S. Coast Guard resources for search and rescue efforts.
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