Governor Kristi Noem is reportedly the Trump administration’s nominee to lead the Department of Homeland Security.
That nomination will lead to changes in the state’s executive branch.
The Department of Homeland Security was formed in response to the September 11th attacks. It’s mission include anti-terrorism, immigration and customs enforcement and border security.
Gov. Noem has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration's handling of the US Southern Border. During a speech in February to the state legislature, she said the issue was a problem for every American.
“The sheer number of illegal migrants coming into this country has made it so that every state is now a border state," Noem said.
DHS also oversees the US Secret Service, which has come under scrutiny following an attempted assassination of Trump this summer.
If Noem’s nomination is approved by the U.S. Senate, Lieutenant Governor Larry Rhoden will become the state’s 34th governor.
Rhoden will appoint a new lieutenant governor to serve out the balance of the term, which ends in 2026. That appointment is subject to confirmation by a majority of the Senate and House.
Rhoden will be the state’s fifth West River governor.
He is the third governor to succeed into the governor’s office. Prior to him, Harvey Wollman took over for Dick Kneip after he was appointed ambassador to Singapore. Walter Dale Miller took office after George S. Mickelson died in a plane crash.
The governor's budget address is scheduled for December 3. The annual legislative session kicks off January 14.
