November 12, 2021, Noem announced that she was running for reelection as governor. On November 17, 2021, State Representative Steven Haugaard announced that he was running for governor against Noem. On February 1, 2022, House Democratic Minority Leader Jamie Smith announced he was seeking the Democratic nomination for governor. Tenure Noem was sworn in as governor of South Dakota on January 5, 2019, the first woman in that office in the state. Abortion Noem is anti-abortion. She has the support of the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List and has said she intends to maintain her 100% anti-abortion voting record. Noem has signed several bills restricting abortion, saying that the bills would "crack down on abortion providers in South Dakota". She also said, "A strong and growing body of medical research provides evidence that unborn babies can feel, think, and recognize sounds in the womb. These are people, they must be given the same basic dignities as anyone else." Following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, South Dakota became one of the first states to enact trigger laws banning abortions. In an interview on CNN's State of the Union, Noem defended South Dakota's abortion ban, which only allows exceptions in cases in which the mother's life is in danger. When asked about the case of the 10-year-old child abuse victim who traveled from Ohio to Indiana in order to receive an abortion, Noem said that she would not support changing the law to allow exceptions for victims of rape, explaining that she does not "believe a tragic situation should be perpetuated by another tragedy." Anti-protest legislation In response to protests against the Keystone Pipeline, Noem's office collaborated with the energy company TransCanada Corporation to develop anti-protest legislation, which Noem signed into law in March 2019. The law created a fund to cover the costs of policing pipeline protests. Another law was passed to raise revenue for the fund by creating civil penalties for advising, directing, or encouraging participation in rioting. The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation banned Noem from their grounds as a result. The Indigenous Environmental Network, Sierra Club, and other groups challenged the laws in suits, arguing that the laws violated First Amendment rights by incentivizing the state to sue protesters. In 2020, Noem brought additional legislation to repeal sections of the previous bill and clarify the definition of "incitement to riot". Conflict of interest action to professionally benefit