Rep. David Johnson (R-33/Rapid City) has apparently decided he’s apologized enough for whatever cross words he aimed at Rep. Lynne DiSanto (R-35/Rapid City). On Monday, Johnson filed his petition to run again for District 33 House.
Johnson thus triggers a District 33 House primary with Rep. Taffy Howard and Rapid City Councilwoman Amanda Scott, who filed their petitions in January, before the much-ballyhooed and overblown verbal fracas between Johnson and DiSanto.
In a March 14 fundraising letter, Johnson says he approaches the political process “with integrity and with a friendly, open, and approachable attitude.” He says he expects his primary opponents to wage “an aggressive effort to defeat me, including personal attacks on my character.” He makes no mention of the general election, perhaps from a healthy one-election-at-a-time attitude, but also perhaps from the fact that no Democrats have filed in District 33 yet.
Meanwhile, in District 35, the only folks who have filed petitions are Democrats Michael T. Hanson (taking another swing!) and Bo Sistak, both eager to end the vulgar DiSanto’s embarrassment of the state. As of this morning’s check of the SOS candidate list, DiSanto has not filed her petition.
Johnson has been like a breath of fresher air in a crowd of Rapid City Republican reps in Pierre!