Sen. John Thune has won an internal election among Republican senators to become the chamber’s next majority leader

Trump, in a statement, cited Noem’s strong background in securing the border for the appointment as the Republican looks to crack down on illegal immigration.

Trump demonstrates his dedication to border security by tapping the governor of a state with no international borders to run Homeland Security.

U.S. Senate Republicans on Wednesday elected South Dakota Sen. John Thune as that chamber’s next majority leader during a closed-door, secret ballot election. When Thune takes over in January, it will mark the first time since 2007 that Kentucky Sen.

Thune, who is 63 and in his fourth Senate term, has promised to work closely with President-elect Donald Trump despite differences between the two over the years.

Republicans on Wednesday elected Senator John Thune of South Dakota, their No. 2 in the chamber, to serve as majority leader in the next Congress, choosing a G.O.P. institutionalist to replace Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky,

President-elect Donald Trump picked South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to head the Department of Homeland Security, as he zeroes in on border security.

South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem is President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to run the federal Department of Homeland Security, according to CNN.

President-elect Trump announced on Tuesday that Kristi Noem is his pick for secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

With voters declining to enshrine a right to abortion in the State Constitution, South Dakota will continue to have one of the strictest abortion bans in the country.

Another ballot measure could give grocery shoppers relief by removing the state sales tax on food. South Dakota lowered its general sales tax last year from 4.5 percent to 4.2 percent, and the new initiative would eliminate taxes on most food items, excluding alcohol and prepared meals.