Gov. Kristi Noem (R-ND) has launched a national campaign called “Freedom Works Here,” which includes two video advertisements to recruit workers from other states to South Dakota.
Noem, who gained national notoriety for how she handled the coronavirus pandemic compared to other governors, including Democrats and Republicans, appears in both advertisements, one of which is eponymously named for the “Freedom Works Here” program.
In the video, Noem, dressed as a plumber, notes the state “is hiring” and touts it was “the first state” to rebound from the coronavirus pandemic.
“As the first state to bounce back from the pandemic, we’ve got one of the nation’s strongest economies and more jobs than we can fill. That’s why I’m pitching in,” she says, emerging from underneath a kitchen sink.
“The average starting salary for an apprentice is $77,000 a year without paying a penny in personal state income tax. Plus, we honor apprenticeships from other states,” she continues.
She quips that she is a “lousy plumber” at the end of the ad.
In the second video, entitled “First Day,” Noem is dressed as a hygienist in a dental office.
“We stayed open during the pandemic, and now businesses are growing so fast our workforce can’t keep up. That’s why I’m lending a hand,” Noem, who was one of few governors who did not impose lockdowns or mask mandates during the pandemic, remarks at the top of the clip.
She noted that there are 25,000 open jobs in the state and joked, “It’s my first day,” to a frightened patient in the chair before the dreaded sounds of a dental drill buzz.
The campaign will work to reach Americans via mail and digital marketing along with the two advertisements, a press release from Noem’s office states. Moreover, those interested will receive help finding a job from the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation.
Noem spoke with Fox and Friends host Brian Kilmeade about the campaign on Wednesday, where she noted the program is also seeking welders and teachers:
Brian, we’ve got the lowest unemployment in our state that we’ve had in the history of the nation. So everybody in South Dakota gets up and goes to work everyday and that’s wonderful. That’s why our population is growing at ten times the national average, incomes are going up faster than anywhere else, people are thriving, but I still have empty jobs. So we are doing a national recruitment campaign to people to come to South Dakota if they want to work hard, make more money, live in safe communities that we will plug them into businesses and industry and give them their skillset right on the job today.
The advertisements come as the Republican primary field continues to take shape, and while Noem has not indicated she is considering a bid, she has been widely discussed as a potential candidate and has been included in a number of primary polls for months after turning into a star of the GOP.
“I think there’s still time if she wanted to get in, but my sense is I don’t hear much about a potential run anymore, at least where I’m sitting,” Dakota News Now Political analyst Jeff Stein said earlier this month.
In October 2021, Noem indicated to Breitbart News that former President Donald Trump would have her backing if he ran again.
“If President Trump runs again, I certainly will support him,” Noem said, adding she was “not” thinking about any future presidential campaign of her own at the time.