Billie Sutton’s gubernatorial campaign says in a press release that it raised $871,539.07 in its seven months of official campaigning in 2017. Team Sutton’s official year-end campaign finance report isn’t online yet, but the campaign says Sutton’s $870K breaks records:
Sutton shattered previous fundraising records through unprecedented grassroots support, raising over 2 ½ times more than any Democratic candidate for Governor in South Dakota has at this stage of the race.
…The next two highest-raising Democrats reported approximately $136k (Abbott, 2002 cycle) and $338k (Heidepriem, 2010 cycle) in the off-year [Sutton for South Dakota, press release, 2018.01.22].
The last Democratic candidate for governor, Susan Wismer, raised $230K during the election year (see Wismer’s pre-general and year-end reports).
Sutton’s numbers pale compared to Kristi Noem’s and Marty Jackley’s: Noem seeded her campaign fund with over a million dollars in out-of-state money from her Congressional campaign fund over a year ago, and she pumped her rich out-of-state backers for more money in 2017. Jackley announced January 4 that he’s raised over a million. But Sutton’s fundraising pace can put him over a million by springtime, and he can sit on much of that war chest while Noem and Jackley burn theirs up in an expensive primary battle.
Update 12:18 CST: The Sutton for South Dakota 2017 year-end report is up:
- $438,669 from individuals;
- $18,915.18 from entities (which he itemized, even though he didn’t have to under current law still not fixed by the pending HB 1003);
- $6,949 from South Dakota political parties;
- $200,920.01 from SD PACs;
- $20,500 from federal PACs (though $15K of that comes from Tim Johnson’s South Dakota First);
- $134,828.20 from other candidates (including $27,528.20 transferred from Billie’s State Senate campaign fund and $100K from Tim Johnson’s lingering U.S. Senate campaign fund);
- $8,734.08 from fundraising auctions; and
- $42,023.60 in donated goods and services.
Team Sutton has spent $165,284.94 of that, mostly on consulting and salaries. On January 1, Sutton had $664,230.53 in the bank to keep traveling the state and campaigning.
This is great news! It is also further proof of how Americans, regardless of where they live, are sick and tired of the insane and incompetent Republican leadership in this country and state.
The only question to be asked now is whether Senator Sutton will face off against an AG, who settled a massive EB5 scandal with a mere $ 2000 fine, or a US Representative who gives unnecessary tax breaks to corporations, while masking the tax cut as an elimination of federal estate taxes, which merely exist on a blackboard at best for 99.9% of the American people and South Dakota citizens in general….
To that only question JKC: Jackley beats Noem on June 5 55–45. I want to say higher, but Noem’s image, name recognition, and money will keep her above 40%.
Cory, I would agree that Jackley is the favorite for the GOP nomination, but Sutton’s very likable demeanor against the Republican swamp in Pierre is a reality that the GOP will need to deal with, with only a $ 2000 fine to showcase against an obvious multi-million dollar scandal.
I might also add, that in my opinion, Mr. Sutton is the most charismatic Democratic candidate for governor in this state, since Dick Kneip. I heard his stump speech this past fall and it is smooth, sincere, and striking. Mr. Sutton appears to be more conservative than me and some other Dems in this state, but Jackley and Noem are far more conservative than Mr. Sutton, or any sensible South Dakota Democrat or Independent, perhaps some Republicans too.
Something also tells me, that the GEAR-UP trials will end up in some kind of mistrial. It’s just a hunch, but given the AG’s $ 2000 settlement over EB5, his office’s failure in successfully dealing with the marihuana issue in Flandreau, and having to compete with the brilliance of defense attorney, Mr. Butler, that all of this tells me that often things come in threes….both good or bad….
And with his remarkably strong fundraising, Billie will have the cash to roll all that Marty’s way once Marty wins the nomination. In an ideal world, Kristi will start rolling those bowling balls in a couple weeks, and we’ll have the pleasure of big Republican money legitimizing the attacks that we’ve been lodging against the GOP establishment, only to be dismissed as Democrats manufacturing an issue.
“smooth, sincere, and striking”—that’s a good combo that puts BIllie above Kristi and Marty.
Cory, exactly, Kristi will get the charcoals started for us, then as Dems we will have a great meal in the fall.
$100,000 from Tim Johnson.
Team Sutton should be writing down the sources cited in every Noem/Jackley ad.
I’m not sure PACs and Tim Johnson constitute strong fund raising skills.
Actually, Dustin, as I note above, $115,000. That appears to be $110,000 more than Johnson’s committees gave Wismer last time, again signaling that Democrats have fielded a much stronger candidate who is able to inspire early investment from important donors.
That was the point you were making, right, Dustin?
If I was young Ms. Wismer, I’d be peeved and down at the mouth. Which she often is. Now we know why. If Mr. Sutton picks Ms. Wismer as his Lt. Governor candidate, he could lock up the woman vote against Mr. Jackley should Jackley win and not pick Deb Peters as his running mate. But if Ms. Noem wins and she picks Mr. Rhoden, well it’s all over. Even Mr. Rhoden wakes up at night from nightmares about Mr. Rhoden, so imagine what Ms. Wismer nightmares about.
This is great and good for Billie Sutton.
I’m sure big Dem donors (Steyer, DNC, etc) see South Dakota as not a place to spend their dollars. But, there sure have been many upsets in traditionally red areas in the country. (Alabama, Wisconsin, etc – areas where Trump won by double figures)
I wonder if they would now see South Dakota as “worth a shot” to give Sutton and Bjorkman some campaign money?