History of Kristi Noem in Timeline

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. She is a prominent figure in American politics.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

November 30, 1971: Kristi Noem Born

On November 30, 1971, Kristi Lynn Arnold Noem was born in Watertown, South Dakota.

1990: Attended Northern State University

In 1990, Kristi Noem began attending Northern State University.

1990: Graduation from Hamlin High School

In 1990, Kristi Noem graduated from Hamlin High School in Hayti, South Dakota, and was crowned South Dakota Snow Queen.

March 1994: Father's Death and Taking Over Family Farm

In March 1994, Kristi Noem's father died in a grain bin accident, leading her to leave college early to run the family farm.

April 21, 1994: Birth of Daughter Kassidy

On April 21, 1994, Kristi Noem's daughter, Kassidy, was born.

2006: Elected to South Dakota House of Representatives

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

2007: South Dakota House of Representatives

In 2007, Kristi Noem began her political career in the South Dakota House of Representatives.

2007: Service in South Dakota House Begins

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: 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: Supported Keystone XL Pipeline

In 2010, Kristi Noem supported the Keystone XL Pipeline.

2010: Elected to U.S. House of Representatives

In 2010, Kristi Noem won the election for South Dakota's at-large seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

2010: End of Term in South Dakota House

In 2010, Kristi Noem's service 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: Critical of Obama's Approach to Libyan Intervention

In March 2011, Kristi Noem was critical of President Barack Obama's approach to the NATO-led military intervention in the 2011 Libyan civil war.

March 2011: Named Regional Director for NRCC

In March 2011, Republican Representative Pete Sessions of Texas named Kristi Noem one of the 12 regional directors for the National Republican Congressional Committee during the 2012 election campaign.

2011: Indicated Vote to Raise Debt Ceiling

In 2011, Kristi Noem indicated that she would vote to raise the federal debt ceiling if tied to budget reforms.

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.

2011: U.S. House of Representatives

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

2011: End of term at South Dakota House of Representatives

In 2011, Kristi Noem's term ended at the South Dakota House of Representatives.

2012: Bachelor of Arts Degree

In 2012, Kristi Noem obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from South Dakota State University while serving as a U.S. representative.

2012: National Republican Congressional Committee Election Campaign

In 2012, Kristi Noem was one of the 12 regional directors for the National Republican Congressional Committee during the election campaign.

2013: Service on House Armed Services Committee Begins

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

2014: Worked on the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act

In 2014, Kristi Noem worked on the National Defense Authorization Act.

2015: Co-sponsored bill to amend 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, federally banning abortion from the moment of fertilization.

2015: Co-sponsored legislation to amend the 14th Amendment

In 2015, Kristi Noem co-sponsored legislation to amend the 14th Amendment to define human life as beginning at the moment of fertilization.

2015: End of service on House Armed Services Committee

In 2015, Kristi Noem's service ended on the House Armed Services Committee.

November 2016: Announced Run 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: Supported Trump's Executive Order 13769

In 2017, Kristi Noem supported President Donald Trump's Executive Order 13769, which suspended the U.S. refugee program and banned travel from seven Muslim-majority countries.

2017: Conference Committee on 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.

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 as Governor

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

2018: First Female Governor of South Dakota

In 2018, Kristi Noem was elected as the first female governor of South Dakota.

2018: Made 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

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

2019: Governor of South Dakota

In 2019, Kristi Noem began serving as the 33rd Governor of South Dakota.

2019: End of Congressional Service

In 2019, Kristi Noem concluded her service in Congress after being reelected three times.

2019: Consented to South Dakota's participation in the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program

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

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.

2020: Legislation to Repeal and Clarify Definition of Incitement to Riot

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".

November 2021: Announced Re-election Campaign

In November 2021, Kristi Noem announced she was running for reelection as governor.

February 2022: House Democratic Minority Leader Jamie Smith announced seeking Democratic nomination.

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

2022: Publication of 'Not My First Rodeo'

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

2022: Climate Change Views

In 2022, Kristi Noem stated that 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."

April 2024: Reversed Support for Federal Abortion Ban

In April 2024, Kristi Noem announced she had reversed her support for a federal ban on abortion, saying she believed abortion law should be determined at the state level.