SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has hit the campaign trail in New Hampshire, making appearances without wearing a mask, even as her state witnessed a new highpoint for virus cases.
Active cases of the coronavirus on Thursday topped 7,000 for the first time in South Dakota and hospitalizations inched to a new high for the third-straight day in a row.
The Republican governor has vaulted to national prominence among conservatives who have praised her hands-off approach to the pandemic.
But as she made numerous campaign stops in New Hampshire, the health crisis in her home state continued to escalate.