Noem's balancing act: Big ambitions, South Dakota reelection
Many political watchers expected Gov. Kristi Noem to cruise to reelection this year in Republican-dominated South Dakota against a Democratic challenger without statewide experience
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — They had waited in the desert heat in a line that wrapped around the block and now the excitement was palpable when South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem took the stage in a suburban Phoenix convention hall. “She's our governor!” someone yelled.
Kari Lake, the Republican nominee for governor in Arizona who hosted the event this past week, stood beside Noem and joined in the praise. She called Noem an “inspiration” who stood up for families against intrusive government mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The warm reception was familiar to Noem, who has made such appearances part of building her national profile as a potential 2024 White House contender.
“I wish I could vote for a woman like that,” Lake said. “But I don’t live in South Dakota.”
