Kristi Noem

Kristi Noem
Official portrait, 2025
8th United States Secretary of Homeland Security
Incumbent
Assumed office January 25, 2025
President	Donald Trump
Deputy	Troy Edgar
Preceded by	Alejandro Mayorkas
33rd Governor of South Dakota
In office January 5, 2019 – January 25, 2025
Lieutenant	Larry Rhoden
Preceded by	Dennis Daugaard
Succeeded by	Larry Rhoden
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Dakota's at-large district
In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2019
Preceded by	Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
Succeeded by	Dusty Johnson
Member of the South Dakota House of Representatives from the 6th district
In office January 9, 2007 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Art Fryslie
Succeeded by	Burt Tulson
Personal details
Born	Kristi Lynn Arnold (1971-11-30) November 30, 1971 (age 53) Watertown, South Dakota, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Bryon Noem ​ (m. 1992)​
Children	3
Education	South Dakota State University (BA)
Signature
Noem's voice Noem supporting the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Recorded December 19, 2017

This article is part of a series about Kristi Noem
Early life Early career Electoral history U.S. Representative from South Dakota Tenure Black Hills Cemetery Act Elections 2010 2012 2014 2016 Governor of South Dakota Tenure Elections 2018 2022 Coronavirus response 2022 winter storm 2024 South Dakota Amendment G U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Confirmation Trump administration Tenure Deportations Immigration policy Abrego Garcia v. Noem Personal life Writings No Going Back
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Kristi Lynn Arnold Noem^[1] (/noʊm/ NOHM;^[2] née Arnold; born November 30, 1971) is an American politician serving as the 8th United States secretary of homeland security since 2025. A member of the Republican Party, she served from 2019 to 2025 as the 33rd governor of South Dakota and from 2011 to 2019 represented South Dakota's at-large congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Born in Watertown, South Dakota, Noem began her political career in the South Dakota House of Representatives, serving from 2007 to 2011. Noem was elected as the first female governor of South Dakota in 2018 with the endorsement of President Donald Trump. She gained national attention during the COVID-19 pandemic for opposing statewide mask mandates and advocating voluntary measures. Noem has conservative positions on most domestic issues, particularly gun rights.

In addition to politics, Noem is a farmer and rancher, as well as a member of the Civil Air Patrol. She has published two autobiographies, Not My First Rodeo: Lessons from the Heartland (2022) and No Going Back (2024), which sparked controversy for its account of her killing a young family dog and inaccurate claims about meeting with foreign leaders. Donald Trump nominated her for Secretary of Homeland Security in his second cabinet. She was confirmed in January 2025 by a Senate vote of 59–34.^[3]