South Dakota
Noem, a contender in the veepstakes, rallies for Trump at CPAC – South Dakota Searchlight
Republican South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem told an audience at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Friday in Maryland that the Republican Party is “not going back to the old days of the Romneys and Cheneys” because the party is “much bigger than that now.”
Mitt Romney was the party’s nominee for president in 2012, and Dick Cheney was vice president from 2001 to 2009. Cheney’s daughter, Liz Cheney, is a former congresswoman and a leading critic of Donald Trump.
Noem is on a shortlist of Trump’s potential running mates, the former president and current presidential candidate publicly confirmed earlier this week. Trump will speak at CPAC on Saturday.
Noem’s speech echoed the previewed themes of a book she plans to release in May titled “No Going Back.” Noem said Republicans “have a clear choice” between Trump and the Biden-Harris administration. Noem claimed Biden and Harris have “facilitated communist policies and socialist programs into our American democracy.”
Noem also promoted her own accomplishments.
“If America wants to be great again, I’d suggest taking a look at South Dakota and all we have achieved and then vote for President Trump,” she said.
Noem said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, “government leaders in other states used fear to control people, to promote their agenda of socialism and control. That has not been our story in South Dakota.”
Noem highlighted her alignment with Trump’s vision for America, underscoring their shared views on the southern border and China.
“There are two kinds of people in this country: those who love America, and those who hate America,” she said. “Those who hate America are working every day to destroy it.”
The Democratic National Committee responded to Noem’s speech with an emailed statement that said Noem will “do or say anything” to be chosen as Trump’s running mate. The DNC also criticized Noem’s support of South Dakota’s abortion ban, which includes an exception for the life of the mother but not for victims of rape or incest.
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South Dakota
Republican businessman Toby Doeden advances to primary runoff in South Dakota governor’s race
Republican businessman Toby Doeden has advanced to a runoff in South Dakota governor’s race, NBC News projects.
Gov. Larry Rhoden, who replaced Kristi Noem last year when President Donald Trump nominated her to lead the Department of Homeland Security, was battling with Rep. Dusty Johnson and former state House Speaker Jon Hansen for a second spot in the July 28 runoff. The primary will go to a runoff because no candidate eclipsed 35% of the vote.
Trump did not issue an endorsement in the race. Doeden branded himself on his campaign website as “a total political outsider who’s tired of the government’s failure to deliver on its promises” and one of Trump’s “fiercest supporters.”
Rhoden, a former lieutenant governor, agriculture secretary and lawmaker, campaigned on property tax cuts and lowering crime in his bid for a four-year term.
Johnson is the state’s lone representative in the House, where he previously was chair of the Republican Main Street Caucus. Hansen, who was elected to the South Dakota House in 2010, held several leadership positions before he became speaker.
The Republican nominee will be the favorite to win the general election in the solidly red state this fall. A Democrat has not served as governor in South Dakota since the 1970s, and Trump carried the state by 29 points in 2024.
News
Agronomist: eastern South Dakota crops hit and miss
An agronomist in eastern South Dakota says corn and soybeans are hit and miss as the growing season begins.
Steven Zemlicka with AgTegra Cooperative tells Brownfield, “We’ve got corn anywhere from V1 all the way up to V4. Biggest stuff’s maybe touching V5. Corn’s coming right along, looks pretty good. A little bit of hail here too, but I don’t think it’s going to be much of an issue. Stands for the most part are pretty good, pretty solid.”
Zemlicka says soybean emergence has been slow due to the wet, cool conditions, and there are a few fields that still need planted.
“People were still working on planting soybeans when we got the recent rain.”
He says recent rain totals ranged from a half inch to as much as four inches in the northeast part of South Dakota; the southern part of the state has been drier.
South Dakota’s corn is rated 61 percent good to excellent, with soybean conditions rated 57 percent good to excellent, according to USDA’s first condition ratings of the season.
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – The South Dakota Community Foundation is encouraging nonprofits to apply for funding this June.
Beth Massa and Ginger Niemann joined us live with what you need to know before applying.
Watch the full interview above.
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