Affirming her belief in citizen legislators and “temporary service”, Rep. Kristi Noem comes on YouTube tonight to vow not to make a career out of Congress… and to run for Governor in 2018:
“We just got through one campaign season, and we all need a break from politics,” says Rep. Noem in front of her metaphorically whitewashed screen. “So while my campaign won’t kick officially until next year, I want you all to know that I’m all in.”
All in… what? Evidently not the job we just elected her for, which, with the swiftness of this announcement, she evidently knew while campaigning against Paula Hawks that she didn’t really plan to do.
But at least she’s not making herself a career Congresswoman. Heck, with the nominal effort she’s put forth in Washington so far, and even less that she’ll put into the job this year, no one will even remember she was in Congress.
Nothing like spending all your political capital in one spot…
Now would be the time for the Dems to pounce, but I’m sure they’ll wait until 6 months before the election to field a candidate.
Does she get to transfer her two million dollar congressional campaign fund to the governor’s race? Or will she do what is right and return the money to her donors?
Roger, she may well be able to convert that money to her state race. I will note that IM 22, which will govern the 2018 race, caps contributions to gubernatorial candidates from any PAC to $4K and any political committee to $40K. Maybe that’s why she’s announcing today, so she can dump the money from her Congressional fund into her governor’s race fund before IM 22 takes effect after the official canvass of election results this week.
I see no Noem committee formed yet on the SOS website. Stay tuned….
Cory,
Associated Press is reporting exactly what you said, adding that she felt forced to announce now because of IM22.
Ah! I see Jonathan Ellis confirms as well:
http://www.argusleader.com/story/blogs/jonathanellis/2016/11/14/exclusive-noem-announces-historic-bid-governor/93811528/
I also notice Ellis didn’t bother to get any comment from opponents about Noem’s quasi-abdication before she’s even sworn in for the term in Congress to which she was just elected. Fair and balanced….
Hopefully our next congressperson will honor his or her oath to support the Fourth Amendment.
Sarah Palin 2.0. God help us!
Cory,
What do you mean by “metaphorically whitewashed”
Simple Definition of whitewash
: to make (something) whiter by painting it with whitewash
: to prevent people from learning the truth about (something bad, such as a dishonest, immoral, or illegal act or situation)
: to defeat (an opponent) easily by winning every game, point, etc.
It may be unfair to say she is not committed to doing the job in D.C. If she follows through with running for governor, her record as a legislature will certainly play an impact on how voters see her. And honestly, if she is engaging voters here in SD more during her campaign, that will make her a more inform legislator. And knowing one is leaving a job, doesn’t make them less effective; Obama’s last four years were not a waste of his or our time.
While looking for the definition of “whitewash”, I did find this definition.
Simple Definition of sour grapes
: unfair criticism that comes from someone who is disappointed about not getting something
So NOem will run against Jackley (whenever I see Marty, I think of the Cable Guy) and who will the Democrats run against them? I say Joe Lowe and Paula Hawks.
If its slick mayor Mike I cant wait to do letters to the editor on him.How he takes care of the working class. HA HA.
Joe, a politician runs for office and then declares 6 days after the election that they are going to run for another office , but they want to keep getting paid for their current public office while they campaign for the new office and they want to transfer campaign funds that would be illegal in a few days and you are offended by Cory’s criticism?
I don’t know. She didn’t have time to complete her degree while farming, but she had time to complete her degree while in Washington working for us, so she can probably campaign for governor while still representing us in Washington. Oh, she’s a member of the GOP in SD? Oh, no problem then, carry on!
“But we can use some fresh ideas someone who’s had to hustle to make a dollar and pinch a penny to make it last. That’s been the experience for the majority of my life as a farmer, a rancher, and a small business owner.”
Wait. Wait… Isn’t she the one whose father – when she was a teenager – left such a large multi-million dollar estate that it triggered the dreaded “death tax” that only multi-millionaires have to pay? Isn’t she the one whose family has received hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money in farm subsidies? And the one who has made $174,000/year taxpayer money as her congressional salary for the past 6 years?
“someone who’s had to hustle to make a dollar and pinch a penny to make it last. That’s been the experience for the majority of my life”. Indeed. Here we see the definition of whitewash in action, Mr. Nelson.
Noem’s a miserable phony and a one-trick pony who got her gold watch as a Republican climber by being allowed to graduate from being a shill for Establishment Republicans in our state House of Representatives to being a shill for Establishment Republicans in Washington.
The Republican Party here or in D.C. owes her nothing. Time has caught up with Kristi. She’s done a lackluster job (even for a Republican) in Congress and has nothing to distinguish herself as a leader or being effective for constituents.
Marty Jackley is the rising star in this showdown. Kristi Noem is yesterday’s bird cage liner. The departure of the Mickelson legacy creates a much different situation.
A spoiler for Kristi is what does Shantel do?
Will she run for Governor? How does that change the voter strategy in a primary?
Or does Shantel announce her support of Marty Jackley for Governor and does Marty declare he wants Shantel for Lt. Governor? That locks in the GOP primary base votes in the Black Hills, ranch country in West River and Sioux Falls for Jackley/Krebs.
If that happens, what does Kristi Noem have left to sell? To anybody?
(Crickets.)
Woah. Good Holy Lord.
Joe, the metaphors are legion, if not all directly relevant to the flow of this post.
Readers, don’t let me have all the fun. I welcome your metaphorically adventures.
Getting elected and then quitting is kind of the en vogue thing to do in South Dakota one party politics. Dusty Johnson, Chris Nelson and the moving of the deck chairs was the table setting for how to get it done. I think that she may have gotten her widdle feelings hurt when she realized that the Ways and Means was way above her ways and means to be in that position. Just another spoiled brat who is gonna take her ball and go home. So who is being groomed to take the NOem’s place? Maybe Daugaard? More money to be made in Washington for a banker like him and less likely to ever get indicted for the EB5 involvement in South Dakota.
Jerry, “So who is being groomed to take the NOem’s place?”
How about newly elected State Senator Tapio? Wasn’t he the state chair for Trump?
SD has but one ‘representative’ in the US House of Representatives. Now that person admits what was widely rumored throughout the recent campaign – that she never had any intent to represent the state in Congress during the next 2-year term. They tell me that in a democratic system of government we get the government we deserve. It appears to be true.
I’m wondering if Noem is intelligent enough for the job? She has the charisma, and being a ‘pub she would have a decent chance of winning, but hasn’t there been some moments in her first couple years about her work ethic?
Herseth-Sandlin should think seriously about waking the SDDP up and joining a race.
SHS needs to get in the game. This is an opening. She can pledge to only run for one office at a time in contrast to Noem and she already has her degrees so she won’t have to learn on the public’s dime.
Operative word: hustle.
I don’t follow Norm very closely, but I was impressed with her position against the deep borehole test. She came out strongly and quickly with a position that probably irked most of the Republican elite. She seemed to have her pulse on the public’s opinion on that issue. I would say if she follows that up by continuing to oppose other deep borehole test proposals, she will probably be your next governor.
I have a feeling that Marty Jackley might bring up how Booker’s share of the national debt has increased while Noem has been in congress. Booker’s share, if you recall, was an issue Noem herself raised when she ran against Stephanie. Poor Booker! Mom has run up his share of the national debt.
I didn’t see anyone mention it in this thread, but I’d bet Noem will resign her house position in early 2018. Daugaurd then hand picks her successor, who will be able to run as the “incumbent”, even though it is an open seat.
o, I don’t think Scott Tapio will qualify with his last name and all. Maybe if he changed it to a more Protestant name, he would have a shot at it. But, of course, he will be taken into consideration…as the peanut gallery snicker and then goes to full roar.
Jenny, here in South Dakota the prerequisite to high political office is not intelligence, it is being clever. NOem has that going for her in a big way. The plan for her to announce her change of office position was not just pulled from her arse, this was known for sometime. I am wondering who will get the nod to replace. It has to be someone who bribed their way into the job by knowing where the skeleton’s are buried. They also have to know that Marty is not going to run to even his surprise. When Mickelson dropped out, that was when the other shoe hit the floor.
Oh, yes, please, run Tapio for Congress. He’s right of Stace Nelson, and Trump owns him. Run him in 2018, and the Democrat will be able to point to Trump’s failures, say, “This is Neal’s fault,” and win 60% of the vote.
Scott, good read… but would Daugaard want to facilitate Noem’s run in that way? Or would that not matter to him, as the bigger important chess piece to move is the opportunity to appoint Dusty Johnson and boost his odds at winning in November, regardless of whether Noem prevails in the 2018 primary?
Would resigning her House seat help or hurt Noem’s chances in the 2018 primary?