Kristi Noem tapped to help lead fellow freshmen

WASHINGTON – Kristi Noem has yet to take the oath of office, but she’s already making a splash on Capitol Hill.

On Wednesday, her newly elected fellow Republican members of the House chose her as one of two members responsible for being a liaison between GOP House leaders and the biggest Republican freshman class in 90 years.

“While South Dakota only receives one vote in the U.S. House, this new position will help ensure our voice is heard where the decisions are made,” Noem said in a news release after her selection. “My No. 1 goal is to be an effective voice for South Dakota, and this position will help me do just that.”

The Castlewood rancher and mother of three is attending freshman orientation this week after defeating incumbent Democrat Stephanie Herseth Sandlin in the Nov. 2 election.

Jon Schaff, a Northern State University political science professor, said the new position is a “feather in her cap.”
“Obviously, it shows the leadership in Washington, D.C., thinks that Kristi Noem is an important spokesman for the House Republicans,” Schaff said. “Time will tell what exactly liaison of the freshman class, what that means.”

Schaff said Noem acting as liaison might put South Dakota’s priorities a little higher on the majority’s agenda.

But Erin McCarrick, South Dakota Democratic Party executive director, has chided Noem for seeking the post by saying she “is clearly putting her own political gain first.”
The liaison post, which Noem will share with Tim Scott of South Carolina, will make her a key go-between for the 85 members of the Republican freshman class, the most since 1920. She and other new members will be sworn in Jan. 5.

Contact Ledyard King at lking@gannett.com. Argus Leader reporter Beth Wischmeyer contributed to this story.

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