Neal Tapio still has no documents on file with the Federal Election Commission; however, he has opened his website and declared that he’s challenging Dusty Johnson and Shantel Krebs for the Republican nomination for South Dakota’s lone seat in the United States House of Representatives:
With events in Watertown, Sioux Falls, Rapid City and Aberdeen Tuesday, Republican State Senator and Donald Trump State Campaign Director, Neal Tapio of Watertown officially enters the 2018 South Dakota congressional race, promising to expose the hypocrisy of establishment politicians rushing furiously to cast themselves as Trump populists [Neal Tapio for U.S. House, blog post, 2017.01.29].
Tapio will spend all day Tuesday flying around the state to grab some headlines: Watertown business condos at 8:30 a.m. Central, Sioux Falls downtown Holiday Inn at 11 a.m. Central, Rapid City Alex Johnson at 2 p.m. Mountain, and Aberdeen Ramkota at 6 p.m. Central. He thus won’t be spending any time doing the job Watertown voters elected him to do—i.e., representing District 5 in the South Dakota Senate, which is in session tomorrow. Senator Tapio will miss his Senate Commerce and Energy Committee meeting at 10 a.m. Central, which is considering five bills on energy savings, fraud in rental applications, paid sick leave, job applicant salary information, and wind energy proposals. Senator Tapio will also miss a meeting of the full Senate at 2 p.m., which is scheduled to debate drug tests for newborns, funding for wildfire control, proposed Board of Regents land purchases in Meade and Brookings counties, increased penalties for human trafficking, and several other bills.
Rather than doing his job and dealing with such boring practical governance issues, Neal Tapio will spend tomorrow gallivanting around South Dakota scapegoating and threatening the Constitutional rights of Muslims, Lutherans, Catholic nuns, the press, and fellow Republicans. Boy, District 5, you’re sure getting your money’s worth. Be sure to check with LRC to see if Tapio still accepts the $123 legislator per diem payment for Tuesday.
Related: Tapio enters the Republican primary attacking fellow Republicans. In his January 29 announcement, Tapio calls “South Dakota’s executive branch and congressional delegation… timid, indecisive and out of touch with the populist groundswell that is sweeping out incumbent officeholders from the establishment center of both parties across the nation.” Funny—there was no sign of any such “populist groundswell” in South Dakota in 2016, when we reëlected every Republican incumbent in statewide and legislative races in the general election except for one (Roger Hunt in District 25, who lost to former Democratic legislator Dan Ahlers). Tapio says Dennis Daugaard and John Thune would have elected Hillary Clinton if they’d had their way. Tapio thus makes clear he’s writing off the majority of South Dakota Republicans and counting on angry racists like the Islamophobes with whom he’ll finish the day in Aberdeen to stuff the primary ballot boxes.
“South Dakota’s executive branch and congressional delegation… timid, indecisive and out of touch with the populist groundswell that is sweeping out incumbent officeholders from the establishment center of both parties across the nation.”
So far I’ve only seen only Republicans being beat in special elections. Like Virginia and Wisconson
Cory, I believe this is EXACTLY what those who elected Tapio to the House wanted. This was all about getting some name recognition to make the quick step up to the national stage.
O, those who voted for Tapio are a deep disappointment… and probably a danger to American democracy.
Wasn’t Tapio one of the people who were suckered into the “Talon News” fiasco back in 2000-2002? I remember his name thrown around quite a bit as an up and coming force in South Dakota politics. Then it was revealed that the “reporter” he was working with wasn’t a reporter at all and that he (reporter) had been a male prostitute? Or internet porn guy or something? Tapio has been pretty quiet since then.
In the GOP primary, a solid, proven public servant (with whom I did disagree on a few issues) was set aside for the Trump train.
Thomas, thanks for the good memory. Yes, it does seem that our boy Tapioca has quite a history. According to this, it was actually in 2003 though. http://www.soundbitten.com/archives/week_2005_02_20.html Interesting reading and you can do some follow up on that link as well, although some of it no longer exists to be able to link to. It looks like he will not be doing any gay bashing though, just religious groups will get his wrath.
During the W. Bush administration, at the same time Tapioca was cutting his teeth in hate politics. Tapioca knew an opportunity when he saw one and looks to have had some chits that were called in to get him into his temporary status in the South Dakota senate. Clearly, he aspires for a bigger ring in the roypublican circus. https://www.salon.com/2005/02/10/gannon_affair/
His scheduled absence is particularly noteworthy given that the Legislature is not in session today and has not met since last Thurs. Apparently a 4-day weekend was not quite long enough to suit Sen Tapio.
Hard pass. Populism sucks, and it floors me that people are still responding to this weaponized version of Dunning-Kruger despite seeing the trainwreck the current Presidency has been. I still can’t fathom how experience is seen as a positive for almost every job in the US save for the most powerful ones.
Tapioca as well as Krebs and Opie all are blind followers of trump. An interesting issue is now up about Putin’s gal lawyer from the trump tower, has again been implicated in espionage only this time in Switzerland. https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-tower-russian-lawyer-natalia-veselnitskaya-exposed-in-swiss-corruption-case The only feller that has the right moral compass to go to Washington to represent us is Tim Bjorkman. Dig deep and send this feller some support https://www.timbjorkman.com/ South Dakota has not had representation since Stephanie was in office. We cannot afford any of these three clowns that would just go to Washington and do nothing for our state.
A republican is going to win. This is South Dakota and I see few Herseth’s out there for dems at the moment. The only one I can stand is Dusty Johnson.
This makes me very nervous!! I think we need discussion giving us direction of practical things that we can do to make sure he doesn’t get elected.
Yes, Tapio sees his opening running against two more traditional Republicans. His getting the nomination might be the best way for a Democrat or Independent to win the House seat this cycle. Steve King wins next door, however, so I certainly won’t assume he can’t win the whole thing. But wow, what has happened to South Dakota in the last few years if this guy wins the nomination and the seat in Congress?
And what about his insulting Thune and Daugaard? We’ll see how that works out for him soon enough.
Do you remember when Trump winning was the best way to get Clinton the presidency and then Trump actually won the damn thing? And now we have a certifiable manchild as POTUS? Remember that? Peppridge Farm remembers.
How can we citizens of South Dakota send anyone but a proven law and order representative to Washington, should be asked each voter. trump just ran off the deputy director or the FBI, this after he fired the head of the FBI, James Comey. The party of law and order is certainly not the people in power. I think it is time to reflect on the way we think of ourselves here in the United States. Are we not for law and order? If so, then Tapioca, Krebs and Opie all, should never be considered to represent us in Washington.
Dicta, a Republican win is more likely than a Democratic win, based on empirical data, but a Democratic win is far from impossible. Bjorkman has so far presented himself as a credible candidate. He’s also a darn sight more moral and faithful to real American ideals than half of the Republican primary field. (I’m counting the half of Shantel who’s trying to tack more Trump than Tapio, not the half of Shantel who just knows how to run an office and serve the public.)
So, the Republican primary is between a Trumper, a Trumpier, and a Trumpiest? Some choice. But SD is totally capable of sending one of these to D.C. (see cowgirl, silent photo guy and guy with big smile and talking points list.)
Very good point, Curt. Tapio could have spent the whole four-day weekend traveling the state to announce his campaign with a much bigger, more effective kick-off. He could have done Friday in Watertown and Aberdeen, then Saturday in the Black Hills, then Sunday in Mitchell and Yankton, then Monday in Sioux Falls—and yes, wait until Monday to build buzz from the other appearances and maximize attention from the big SF press. On a schedule like that, Tapio could do media events and fundraisers in each town and get more rest between events.
Instead, Tapio chose to skip 5.2% of his part-time job, the precious few days of which conscientious legislators would miss only for the most pressing, unavoidable reasons, for matters beyond their control.
Practical steps, Caroline?
(1) Get Shantel more info about Tapio’s connections with Talon News, Jeff Gannon, and Steve Sibson. But play that card carefully—Tapio’s work with that cabal was useful in helping Thune beat Daschle, so some GOP voters might think, “Good on Neal!” But we could easily turn that around by showing Tapio to be a turncoat, helping Thune win his Senate seat, now slagging him.
(2) As long as no good Dem primaries arise, consider re-registering on May 1 and voting in the GOP primary. The trick is that we would all have to decide which Republican to back to keep Tapio out. At this point, I lean toward a unified effort to help Dusty win the primary, since Shantel seems more inclined to fight with Tapio for the Trumpist crown, meaning they will split the Nazi base and votes for Dusty will augment a sane mainstream vote, leaving us with a general election battle between the very good Bjorkman and the possibly tolerable Johnson.
(3) Keep a close eye on Tapio’s attendance for the rest of Session. Document every day of work he skips. Also watch the crackerbarrels, see if he shows up to answer voters in District 5. If he doesn’t share that info with friends and point out what a lazybones Congressman he’d make.
Tapio’s main objective is to create chaos in the Republican primary and elect Tim Bjorkman – then blame it on Republicans.
I was extremely disappointed in Krebs’ turn for the nutter. Perhaps some of it has to do with the insane fact that Trump’s approval is over 50% in South Dakota,
http://news.gallup.com/poll/226454/trump-approval-highest-west-virginia-lowest-vermont.aspx?utm_source=twitterbutton&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=sharing . I wish people would be better, but here we are.
Ms. Krebs is insaner than most, that is very true. But she is only pretending to like Mr. Trump. She thought that was her easy ride ticket, until this Tapio fellow popped up. Now she’s made a bed in which it will be hard for her to lie and win.