Could Kristi Noem run for Senate after DHS exit? Filing deadline looms
What's the administration thinking here?
The door may be closing on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s tenure in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet, but another remains open: running for Senate in her home state of South Dakota, as the filing deadline has not yet passed.
Speculation that Noem could mount a run sparked Thursday after President Donald Trump announced he was moving Noem out of the Department of Homeland Security and appointing her as special envoy for the “Shield of the Americas,” a Western Hemisphere security initiative the administration plans to unveil Saturday in Doral, Florida. Trump announced the move on Truth Social.
Speaking later in Nashville, Tennessee, while delivering the keynote address at the Sergeants Benevolent Association Major Cities Conference, Noem said the initiative will focus on combating drug cartels across the region.
“We have all kinds of new challenges, and that’s why President Trump is going after the cartels by addressing it from the Western Hemisphere,” Noem said, adding that the administration plans to work with regional partners to target cartel networks and drug trafficking.
Even before the shift, there had been quiet talk among Republican operatives that Noem could consider challenging Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) in the 2026 Senate primary in South Dakota, according to reporting from the Atlantic.
South Dakota law allows party nominating petitions to be filed between Jan. 1 and 5 p.m. local time on March 31, 2026, for the primary scheduled for June 2. Candidates must submit 2,171 valid signatures from supporters statewide to qualify for the ballot.
Rounds has faced conservative primary opposition before and prevailed comfortably. In 2020, he defeated a challenger running to his right by 50 percentage points. But Noem, a former governor with national name recognition, would likely pose a far more serious threat.
A Senate bid could also give Noem a political landing spot after leaving the administration. If Democrats win back the House next year, they are expected to intensify oversight of the Department of Homeland Security, including decisions made during her tenure. Holding a Senate seat would provide staff resources and a national fundraising platform as she navigates possible scrutiny.
Still, the path would not be easy. While Trump and Rounds have clashed at times, particularly after Rounds said the 2020 election was legitimate, the president ultimately endorsed the South Dakota senator for reelection last summer, posting on Truth …
What's the administration thinking here?
The door may be closing on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s tenure in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet, but another remains open: running for Senate in her home state of South Dakota, as the filing deadline has not yet passed.
Speculation that Noem could mount a run sparked Thursday after President Donald Trump announced he was moving Noem out of the Department of Homeland Security and appointing her as special envoy for the “Shield of the Americas,” a Western Hemisphere security initiative the administration plans to unveil Saturday in Doral, Florida. Trump announced the move on Truth Social.
Speaking later in Nashville, Tennessee, while delivering the keynote address at the Sergeants Benevolent Association Major Cities Conference, Noem said the initiative will focus on combating drug cartels across the region.
“We have all kinds of new challenges, and that’s why President Trump is going after the cartels by addressing it from the Western Hemisphere,” Noem said, adding that the administration plans to work with regional partners to target cartel networks and drug trafficking.
Even before the shift, there had been quiet talk among Republican operatives that Noem could consider challenging Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) in the 2026 Senate primary in South Dakota, according to reporting from the Atlantic.
South Dakota law allows party nominating petitions to be filed between Jan. 1 and 5 p.m. local time on March 31, 2026, for the primary scheduled for June 2. Candidates must submit 2,171 valid signatures from supporters statewide to qualify for the ballot.
Rounds has faced conservative primary opposition before and prevailed comfortably. In 2020, he defeated a challenger running to his right by 50 percentage points. But Noem, a former governor with national name recognition, would likely pose a far more serious threat.
A Senate bid could also give Noem a political landing spot after leaving the administration. If Democrats win back the House next year, they are expected to intensify oversight of the Department of Homeland Security, including decisions made during her tenure. Holding a Senate seat would provide staff resources and a national fundraising platform as she navigates possible scrutiny.
Still, the path would not be easy. While Trump and Rounds have clashed at times, particularly after Rounds said the 2020 election was legitimate, the president ultimately endorsed the South Dakota senator for reelection last summer, posting on Truth …
Could Kristi Noem run for Senate after DHS exit? Filing deadline looms
What's the administration thinking here?
The door may be closing on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s tenure in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet, but another remains open: running for Senate in her home state of South Dakota, as the filing deadline has not yet passed.
Speculation that Noem could mount a run sparked Thursday after President Donald Trump announced he was moving Noem out of the Department of Homeland Security and appointing her as special envoy for the “Shield of the Americas,” a Western Hemisphere security initiative the administration plans to unveil Saturday in Doral, Florida. Trump announced the move on Truth Social.
Speaking later in Nashville, Tennessee, while delivering the keynote address at the Sergeants Benevolent Association Major Cities Conference, Noem said the initiative will focus on combating drug cartels across the region.
“We have all kinds of new challenges, and that’s why President Trump is going after the cartels by addressing it from the Western Hemisphere,” Noem said, adding that the administration plans to work with regional partners to target cartel networks and drug trafficking.
Even before the shift, there had been quiet talk among Republican operatives that Noem could consider challenging Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) in the 2026 Senate primary in South Dakota, according to reporting from the Atlantic.
South Dakota law allows party nominating petitions to be filed between Jan. 1 and 5 p.m. local time on March 31, 2026, for the primary scheduled for June 2. Candidates must submit 2,171 valid signatures from supporters statewide to qualify for the ballot.
Rounds has faced conservative primary opposition before and prevailed comfortably. In 2020, he defeated a challenger running to his right by 50 percentage points. But Noem, a former governor with national name recognition, would likely pose a far more serious threat.
A Senate bid could also give Noem a political landing spot after leaving the administration. If Democrats win back the House next year, they are expected to intensify oversight of the Department of Homeland Security, including decisions made during her tenure. Holding a Senate seat would provide staff resources and a national fundraising platform as she navigates possible scrutiny.
Still, the path would not be easy. While Trump and Rounds have clashed at times, particularly after Rounds said the 2020 election was legitimate, the president ultimately endorsed the South Dakota senator for reelection last summer, posting on Truth …
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