Conversations with experts and political insiders from both parties suggest that while it’s far too early to suggest she’s in danger of losing her re-election bid this fall, Noem may emerge bloodied, with any national ambitions in some jeopardy.

University of South Dakota political science professor Michael Card told The Daily Beast that Noem has raised hackles in part by the very nature of how she performs duties essential to her job. Specifically, he pointed to her repeatedly referring to South Dakota issues with terms like “my bill” and “my budget” in a state with old-school lawmakers who like to maintain their fiefdoms.

When one of her staff members referred to the “governor’s budget” this week, Card noted, a normally mild-mannered lawmaker “snapped” and said it was the legislature’s budget, not her own.

“I think that’s symptomatic of a lot of what’s going on,” he said. “It’s her brand, not the state.”