A lot of people have tried to put labels on me, but right now I'm focused on being Kristi Noem and getting my message out to South Dakotans.

I think everyday people on the street who have never been affiliated with the tea party movement are alarmed with the spending and the debt that we have.

We must stop spending money that we just don't have. Historic debt leads to historic tax increases, which stifle job growth.

A lot of people have tried to put labels on me, but right now I'm focused on being Kristi Noem and getting my message out to South Dakotans.

I'd rather have a real South Dakotan who has lived in this state and made her living here instead of someone with a fancy East Coast law degree any day.

Now make no mistake, I think we need a strong dose of fiscal conservatism in Washington, D.C.

So, a lot of my supporters back home are members of the Tea Party.