South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem on Thursday endorsed Wyoming Republican Gov. Mark Gordon in his campaign to win the GOP party nomination in the Aug. 16 primary, according to a prepared statement.

“Over the last few years, it has become more obvious than ever that leadership has consequences," Noem said.

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South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem. Mark Wilson, Getty Images
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"Thankfully, Wyoming has a solid leader at the helm in Mark Gordon."

Gordon was elected in 2018.

The three other GOP candidates running for their party's choice for governor are Brent Bien of Sheridan, James Scott Quick of Douglas and Rex Rammell of Rock Springs.

Noem was elected in 2018, and like Gordon is seeking a second term this year.

In June, Noem pledged to bar mail-order abortion pills, but said women shouldn't face prosecution for seeking them.

Her stand appears to be in defiance of legal guidance by the U.S. Department of Justice after the U.S. Supreme Court stripped away women’s constitutional protections for abortion.

After the ruling, Noem said doctors, not their patients, would likely be prosecuted for knowing violations of what would be one of the strictest laws on abortion pills in the United States.

Two years ago, South Dakota’s largest medical organizations launched a joint effort to promote mask-wearing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus as the state suffers through one of the nation’s worst outbreaks.

The move countered Noem's doubts on recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to wear face coverings in public.

Besides refusing to mandate masks, she also refused to shut down businesses, which was then an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Noem's endorsement of Gordon on Thursday echoed that resistance to certain federal programs.

“The fight against President Biden’s overreach is ongoing, and Governor Gordon is leading that fight right alongside me. We are fighting to end Biden's war on American energy independence and our region's timber industry, and we are advancing freedom for our people," Noem said.

"That is why I have endorsed Mark and encourage all Wyoming Republicans to vote for him in the upcoming primary," she said.

 

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