Following lawmakers’ approval Saturday, officials tapped two-term South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to be America’s new Secretary of Homeland Security.
Noem, 53, earned the needed number of votes from senators Saturday and was confirmed with a vote of 59-34, the Department of Homeland Security announced in a news release. The move makes her the third of President Donald Trump’s nominees to now be confirmed.
Noem’s confirmation by the Senate comes on the heels of Trump’s second oath of office and less than a week after her respective committee hearing this month.
Prior to her confirmation, Noem served as South Dakota’s 33rd and first-ever female governor.
A rancher, farmer, and small business owner before moving into the governor’s mansion, Noem served in the state’s legislature for years. She was later elected to serve as The Mount Rushmore State’s sole member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Here’s what to know about Noem:
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Where was Kristi Noem born?
Noem’s full name is Kristi Lynn Arnold Noem and she was born in 1971 in Watertown, in east central South Dakota.
The city is in Codington County about 187 miles northeast of the state’s capital Pierre.
Who is Kristi Noem married to?
The new Secretary of Homeland Security is married to Bryon Noem.
The couple married in 1992 and share three children: Kassidy Noem, Kennedy Noem, and Booker Noem.
According to the Argus Leader, part of the USA TODAY Network, Noem’s husband owns the insurance firm, Noem Insurance LLC, of which he is listed as the sole shareholder.