South Dakota
South Dakota Gov Noem stumps for Trump in Iowa, says Nikki Haley would be 'mistake' as his running mate
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem traveled to Iowa to stump for former President Trump on Wednesday after saying Nikki Haley would be a “mistake” as Trump’s running mate.
Noem, who endorsed Trump for president in September, was in Sioux City, Iowa, on Wednesday night and told potential Jan. 15 caucus voters that Trump is the best choice for Republicans.
“I’ve known the man for years now,” Noem said onstage, according to KTIV, “worked with him when he was in the White House on tax cuts, worked with him on policies and trade agreements. I served on the Armed Services Committee, worked on foreign policy with him. He helped me build my economy in South Dakota.”
Taking aim at Haley, who served as South Carolina governor and then as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in the Trump administration, Noem told an audience, “She said that she was never going to run for president against President Trump, and now she’s running for president against President Trump.”
HALEY PUSHES BACK BUT DOES NOT CATEGORICALLY RULE OUT BEING TRUMP’S RUNNING MATE
Nikki Haley has been floated as a potential vice presidential running mate for former President Trump. (Getty Images)
“She defends him and then she attacks him. She defends you, she attacks you,” Noem said of Haley, according to the Argus Leader. “Whichever way the political winds blow is where she goes, and we cannot trust our country to somebody like that either.”
Touching on foreign policy, Noem added, “We would never have the situation going on like we see in the Middle East right now if he had been in the White House. We would never see what was going on with Russia and Ukraine. I mean, he would be strong, he’d be strong against North Korea.”
Noem’s visit comes before Trump is expected to campaign in Sioux Center, Iowa, on Friday.
The roughly 30-minute speech in Iowa came a day after Noem was asked on-air by Newsmax host Eric Bolling, “If he picked Nikki Haley, would that be a mistake?”
“Yes,” Noem replied. “But if he picked her, I would tell him I disagreed with him. But then I would support the ticket because he’s still the president, and the president still makes the decisions and, you know, I just, I’ve had a lot of disagreements with Nikki Haley over the years. And I just don’t know which Nikki Haley is going to show up every day. She’s a different person, depending on whatever works for her political agenda.”
Reached for comment Thursday, a spokesperson for Haley’s campaign pointed to how Haley during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday” said she would not “play for second.”
But in a Fox News Digital interview Tuesday, Haley did not categorically rule out being Trump’s running mate.
During her speech in Sioux City on Wednesday, Noem also took aim at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has been endorsed for president by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and visited all of the state’s 99 counties during a tour in which he touted how he defied mask and vaccine mandates in the Sunshine State, according to the Argus Leader.
Gov. Kristi Noem endorsed former President Trump for president during a rally in Rapid City, South Dakota, on Sept. 8, 2023. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
“We’re not going to let people who run for office rewrite history,” Noem said onstage Wednesday. “Ron DeSantis closed his businesses down. He closed his beaches down. When it was hard challenging political pressure in times when everything mattered and your constitutional freedoms were threatened, Ron DeSantis caved to pressure. And we just can’t afford to put somebody as leader of the free world that caves to political pressure.”
EX-OBAMA CAMPAIGN MANAGER URGES LIBERAL VOTERS TO SUPPORT NIKKI HALEY TO SABOTAGE TRUMP
Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon recently predicted a “big fight” will take place this spring over the direction of the Trump campaign.
“They’re going to try to force Nikki on the ticket,” Bannon said in an appearance on the podcast “Human Events with Jack Posobiec.”
“They’ll say Trump needs a woman, Nikki, on the ticket, she balances things, and she can bring together that 15% of Never Trumpers in the Republican Party,” Bannon said. “We’re going to have to have that fight. If Nikki Haley is in this administration in any capacity, it will fail. She’s a viper. She’s a viper, and once she gets in there, she’ll try to run it as prime minister. She’ll try to be Dick Cheney. Her to Trump will be just like Dick Cheney to Bush. That’s what she’ll try to do.”
Former President Trump and Gov. Kristi Noem speak during a campaign rally in Rapid City, South Dakota, on Sept. 8, 2023. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
In an on-air interview with CBS News, Noem was asked if she was on the ground in Sioux City to audition for Trump’s vice presidential spot. She denied that was the case, saying, “I’m here to help the president win.”
When pressed if she would accept an offer to run as Trump’s VP, Noem responded, “I think anybody in this country, if they were offered it, needs to consider it.”
Noem also criticized Haley during the Wednesday appearance, saying, “I haven’t supported Nikki Haley. I just think I don’t really know who the real Nikki Haley is. She’s whoever she needs to be for whatever ways the political winds blow that day.”
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“Nikki Haley would be a bad choice because I don’t know what she will say and do next,” Noem said.
South Dakota
SD Lottery Mega Millions, Millionaire for Life winning numbers for March 10, 2026
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at March 10, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 10 drawing
16-21-30-35-65, Mega Ball: 07
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 10 drawing
03-27-43-45-49, Bonus: 04
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
- Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
- Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.
When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.
South Dakota
Trading property tax for sales tax: Legislature moves forward with parts of homeowner relief package
PIERRE — Two pieces of a property tax reduction package prepared by South Dakota’s legislative leadership and the executive branch are moving forward, but one bill failed during votes on Monday as lawmakers began the final week of the annual legislative session.
The House of Representatives voted
42-27
in support of
Senate Bill 245
, which would pull future revenue from a scheduled sales tax increase from 4.2% to 4.5% next year into a relief fund for homeowner property taxes, and use nearly $56 million in one-time money to seed the fund before the sales tax increase.
The Senate supported
House Bill 1323
, which would reduce the number of petition signatures needed to force an election on a local government’s decision to levy property taxes beyond limits set by the state. The Senate passed the bill 19-15.
Both bills have to return to the opposite chamber for consideration of amendments.
The Senate rejected
House Bill 1253
, which would cap annual assessment growth for owner-occupied homes and commercial properties at 5% annually and reset assessments back to market value every five years. The bill failed with a 9-24 vote.
The bills are part of a broader,
five-bill legislative package
targeted at property tax relief.
Another bill
in the package, which would allow counties to implement a half-percent sales tax with proceeds going to homeowner property tax credits, is awaiting the governor’s signature after he proposed it and it received both chambers’ approval.
The legislative budget committee is scheduled to consider a fifth piece of legislation in the package on Tuesday.
The bill
would reduce maximum property tax levies for school districts.
Sales tax bill overcomes concerns about future budget needs
SB 245 would capture revenue from the impending sales tax increase to deposit into a “homeowner property tax reduction fund” meant to reduce property taxes levied by school districts. The Legislature and then-Gov. Kristi Noem reduced the state sales tax rate three years ago but scheduled the reduction to sunset in 2027.
House Speaker Jon Hansen, R-Dell Rapids, told lawmakers on Monday that the bill would be an “investment in the people,” because it’ll give South Dakota homeowners more money to spend as they choose. Hansen, the bill’s sponsor and a candidate for governor, said that would lead to more spending and, therefore, more sales tax revenue. The state relies on sales taxes, while counties and schools rely on property taxes, and cities receive revenue from property taxes and sales taxes.
Some opponents said the legislation would favor wealthier, property-owning South Dakotans rather than lower-income renters.
(Photo by Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)
Rep. Mike Weisgram, R-Fort Pierre, worried that automatically diverting future state revenue to reduce homeowner property taxes would come at the cost of other priorities, such as annual funding increases for state employees, Medicaid providers and public schools — which are known as the “big three” budget priorities. Lawmakers often
aim
to increase funding for the groups by 3% or inflation, whichever is less. An inflationary increase this legislative session would be 2.5%, according to the state Department of Education.
“We are just clawing to get 1.4% for the big three,” Weisgram said. “I don’t think any of us are proud of that.”
Hansen said the decision “is not an either-or” situation.
“We can help the property taxpayers in the state who desperately, desperately need it,” Hansen said, “and then I trust fully that this state is going to continue to grow and that we are going to be able to meet the needs of our core obligations of this state.”
The bill was introduced as an amendment to placeholder legislation last week, and it will head to the Senate for approval. The Senate narrowly rejected a
similar proposal
earlier this legislative session.
Senate approves lower signature threshold to force election on excess taxes
The version of House Bill 1323 that passed the Senate would set the number of petition signatures needed to force an election on an excess tax levy (often called an “opt-out”) for a local government at 2,500 or 5% of registered voters within its jurisdiction, whichever is less. The current threshold to refer decisions by a local government is 5% of registered voters in the district, without a 2,500 signature cap.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Taffy Howard, R-Rapid City, said it will still be difficult to refer decisions by a local government to voters.
“You’re talking dozens and dozens of volunteers, weeks of organized effort,” Howard said. “There’s not a lot of people that have been through that and can even organize that kind of effort. So it’s not a trivial bar.”
Because the bill was amended since it last appeared in the House, it’ll now go to the House for approval.
HB 1253 intended to provide South Dakota homeowners and commercial property owners predictable increases in their property assessments, which factor into property taxes they pay, over five year periods.
But opponents said the change would shift the property tax burden onto farmers and ranchers and surprise homeowners every five years when assessments would be re-based on market value, which could lead to double-digit increases in assessments.
This story was originally published on
SouthDakotaSearchlight.com.
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South Dakota
Political Pulse: South Dakota Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff on data centers, property taxes and more
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – State Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff joined Political Pulse over the weekend.
Mehlhaff weighed in on property tax proposals, data centers, and effort to repeal the death penalty and speculation that Kristi Noem could run for Senate.
The interviewed was taped on Saturday.
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Copyright 2026 KOTA. All rights reserved.
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