Noem Launches Reelection Bid for South Dakota Governor

South Dakota GOP Gov. Kristi Noem announced her reelection bid on Friday in a video posted to her campaign YouTube account.

Noem became the first female to hold the office in South Dakota when she won in 2018.

"We have the best economy in the nation, as well as the best people and quality of life," Noem said. "There is so much more we can do together."

The incumbent governor is the first to announce a run for the 2022 South Dakota gubernatorial election thus far. She enters the reelection campaign with over $10 million, according to the Argus Leader.

Noem participated in a fundraiser at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida this February amid speculation about a potential 2024 presidential bid and is among several members of the GOP, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, thought to be considering a campaign for president, The Hill said.

Noem, who began as a conservative favorite, has been criticized for caving on the transgender sports issue to business interests by National Review columnist Nate Hochman and being dishonest about her lockdown position by Fox News Host Tucker Carlson.

"I think one of the most common words that I have heard in recent years in relation to the governor is 'disappointment,'" South Dakota Republican lawmaker John Mills told National Review. "And you know, many of us who had high hopes for her have felt that disappointment."

Noem scored a 77 out of 100 on a "feelings thermometers" rating among South Dakota voters, higher than Donald Trump's 72, according to a September SDSU poll.