South Dakota‘s incumbent governor Kristi Noem has won the Republican primary spot to seek re-election in the November general election.

       Associated Press reported that Ms Noem won her primary with 77 per cent of the votes.

       The challenger Steven Haugaard won just 23 per cent of the votes, it was reported.

       During her speech, the governor said she was prepared to protect South Dakota from Joe Biden and said that the president is “threatening us that if we don’t protect girls, sports, that if we don’t ensure fairness for are women, that he will take food off of our children’s plates in our schools”.

       “I will continue to defend you from him (Biden) and from the federal government and pursue opportunities for families here to continue to live the dream,” she added.

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       Ms Noem was elected governor of South Dakota in 2018 and was the state’s first woman to hold the office. Ms Noem served as a US representative for South Dakota for four terms in Washington, DC.

       She will now face Democrat Jamie Smith and Libertarian Tracey Quint in the general election in November.

       “There is a good portion of the Republican party that’s not happy with the leadership of Kristi Noem,” Democrat Jamie Smith was quoted as saying by Keloland.com.

       On Tuesday, Ms Noem said: “Our economy is thriving; we’ve made historic investments but the number one crisis in front of us is inflation. We’ve got an energy and food supply crisis going on and we’re going to have to defend South Dakota.”

       “And now, with your support, we’re going to have the chance to go to a November election and make sure that we’re pushing back on Joe Biden’s America and what he’s doing to this country,” she said.

       Meanwhile, in the US Senate race, incumbent John Thune also handily won his primary on Tuesday. Mr Thune’s race was called twenty minutes after the polls closed.

       “I want to thank Republicans in South Dakota for supporting my Senate candidacy,” he said. “I look forward to continue putting South Dakota’s interests on the national agenda and stopping Biden’s radical, left-wing crusade.”