Last updated on 2018-07-05
South Democrats have nominated Alexandra Frederick of Okreek for Secretary of State. Following yesterday’s nominations of Democratic candidates to six of the seven statewide offices decided at convention, Alexandra Frederick announced her willingness to campaign for Secretary of State.
During this morning’s general session of the Democratic Convention in Sioux Falls, Senator Troy Heinert (D-26/Okreek) rose to suspend the rules to allow the convention to reopen nominations. After Carrie Ackerman Rice formally nominated Frederick, Senator Heinert spoke to Frederick’s merits, saying she is a longtime friend, rancher, cowgirl, and horsewoman.
When she took the podium, Frederick greeted the delegates and introduced herself in Lakota. She spoke of her experience during one of her first trips to the polls when members of her family, who all lived in the same household, were told by poll workers they had to go vote at separate precincts miles apart. She said she grew up poor—her family was actually homeless twice—and thus learned a hard work ethic. Frederick promised to bring Lakota values—keeping busy, moving forward, thinking of things bigger than yourself—to the Secretary of State’s office.
With Frederick’s nomination, the Democratic Party now offers a complete slate of statewide candidates. challenging Republicans for every constitutional post. This complete Democratic slate offers some unique pluses and attention grabbers:
- Democrats have nominated a husband-wife team of Native Americans to statewide office, Alexandra Frederick for Secretary of State and her husband Wayne Frederick for Public Utilities Commissioner. Alexandra and Wayne can carpool, save campaign funds, and offer more local campaign events a doubleheader of campaign speeches!
- Democrats have nominated more bilingual candidates (English and Lakota!) than we’ll see from the Republicans.
- Democrats have nominated at least three rodeo alumni (Sutton for Gov., Lavallee for Lt. Gov., A. Frederick for SOS.
I’m thinking my Secretary of State should have legalize experience, but the article makes no mention of any. A rancher and cowgirl – sounds a little bit like a Noem ad.
Lets hope it works for Alexandra as well as it worked for NOem to get elected. As far as legalize experience, as I recall, the gent that was there before Krebs was not exactly a law scholar. Alexandra Fredrick would do just fine in that office.
I don’t recall that Shantel Krebs had any “legalize” experience.
Shantel Krebs sold shoes. Jason Gant ran DakotaCare health insurance. Hazeltine was a teacher. Nelson was Hazeltine’s elections supervisor.
Republican candidate Steve Barnett is just trying to play musical chairs, switching from State Treasurer to SOS.
A rancher and cowgirl – sounds a little bit like a Noem ad.
In South Dakota, if the horse is pretty, it is a sure fire election victory.
SD Democratic candidates look and sound like South Dakota, ALL of South Dakota.
The Democratic slate certainly represents South Dakota more broadly than the Republican slate, which consists of GOP apparatchiks—Brunner and Fiegen trying to keep their seats, Barnett and Sattgast playing musical chairs, Haeder moving up from the Rounds campaign machine, and Ravnsborg, Russell, and FItzgerald competing for AG.