From that point on, she made a vow to never waste a single day, and to pour her energy into what truly mattered. First it was her family. Then her neighbors. Then, eventually, her entire country.
Kristi Noem speaks to fellow freshman during the first morning of the Freshman Orientation on Capitol Hill on November 15, 2010, in Washington, D.C. | Source: Getty Images
Kristi Noem speaks to fellow freshman during the first morning of the Freshman Orientation on Capitol Hill on November 15, 2010, in Washington, D.C. | Source: Getty Images
Before Washington, there was survival. She had to run the farm her father left behind, and it was through that day-to-day struggle that her political spark was lit.
“My dad had consistently said, ‘We don’t complain about things, we fix them.’ When I lost him and almost lost everything, it made me start showing up and getting involved in policies that really do, tragically, crush families,” Noem told Fox News Digital.
Kristi Noem arrives with other newly elected members of Congress on the East Plaza for orientation sessions on November 17, 2010, in Washington, D.C. | Source: Getty Images
Kristi Noem arrives with other newly elected members of Congress on the East Plaza for orientation sessions on November 17, 2010, in Washington, D.C. | Source: Getty Images
She began attending local policy meetings tied to agriculture and soon built a connection with then-Democratic Senator Tom Daschle, who saw something promising in the young rancher.
In 2006, she ran for state legislature as a Republican and won. Four years later, she was elected to the United States Congress.
Kristi Noem during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol with the Republican leadership team for the 112th Congress on November 19, 2010, in Washington, D.C. | Source: Getty Images
Kristi Noem during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol with the Republican leadership team for the 112th Congress on November 19, 2010, in Washington, D.C. | Source: Getty Images
Once in Washington, she focused on farming legislation and protecting American agriculture. But her rise was not just fueled by her childhood or her father’s wisdom. There was another side to her that helped her thrive in the harsh world of politics.
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