Noem sets South Dakota record for largest-ever fundraiser

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) pulled in $330,000 for her reelection campaign at a Sioux Falls fundraiser last week, smashing the record for the largest single fundraising event in state history, according to her campaign manager.

Noem, who’s seen as a possible contender for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024, formally kicked off her campaign for a second term in the South Dakota governor’s mansion earlier this month. 

Since then, she’s raised about half a million dollars – much of it coming from last week’s fundraising event. She currently has some $6.5 million in the bank. 

The Sioux Falls fundraising total was first reported on Tuesday by Politico Playbook. According to the newsletter, the $330,000 haul is nearly double the amount raised at the state’s second largest fundraiser on record. 

Noem, who served as South Dakota’s sole U.S. representative until entering the governor’s mansion in 2019, is expected to win reelection easily next year. South Dakota hasn’t elected a Democrat as governor since 1978 and Noem is a particularly well-known and well-funded incumbent.

One other Republican, former South Dakota state House Speaker Steven Haugaard, is running to unseat Noem in 2022. No Democrat has formally announced a bid for governor.