Ahead of Republican Governor Kristi Noem being sworn into office for the second time in South Dakota she highlighted her record and discussed the future with Fox News. She mentioned her record in South Dakota, and the growth the state has had in an interview before her second swearing-in ceremony in the state. Noem starts her second term as the state’s governor following eight years in the House of Representatives where she served the red state. Though now, and especially following her interview and inauguration speech, many are suspecting Noem may run for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024.
“I focused on doing my job here in South Dakota,” Noem answered when asked if she’s mulling a White House run.
But the governor added that “I’m focused here but I’m going to continue telling South Dakota’s stories.”
Noem spotlighted that “we kept our state open” during the heights of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. “We balanced our budget. I’m going to bring forward and pass the largest tax cut in South Dakota history this legislative session. We protected parental rights. We reformed our education system and it’s working.”
Asked if she’s not ruling anything out when it comes to a potential 2024 presidential run, Noem answered “that’s fair to say. But there are a lot of people out there talking about running for president. I also know that politics changes quickly and things change on a dime on who’s going to run and who’s not going to run. I want the best person.”
Noem said that “we need a way better president than the one we’ve got today. Joe Biden’s a disaster. So, Republicans really do need to focus on getting a candidate for presidential office that can win.”
As announcement season approaches, we will see where this all leads with Noem and many other GOP primary hopefuls.
