In Lawrence County, Republicans outnumber Democrats 2.47 to 1. Nonetheless, The Lawrence County Republican Party graciously offered to co-host a political debate with the Lawrence County Democratic Party. They invited the candidates for Attorney General to come speak together to Lawrence County voters come October.
Yet Republican Jason Ravnsborg has declined to participate, rejecting five proposed dates and saying that not one date in the next two months when he’ll be available for such an event in deeply Republican Lawrence County.
Lawrence County Democrats chair Brooke Abdallah documents Ravnsborg’s dogged demurral:
Once again, ducking debates demonstrates a candidate’s lack of confidence. Avoiding a debate is all the more damning for a candidate for Attorney General, a big part of whose job will be to prepare the state’s team of lawyers for courtroom debates and, on the biggest cases, to step into the courtroom himself to defend South Dakota against hostile litigants. If I were a confident Republican running for Attorney General, I’d look at a debate in Spearfish as a great chance to (1) grab some attention away from the big dogs for my down-ticket race (call Seth Tupper! call KOTA-TV!), (2) destroy my flailing Democratic opponent, and (3) rally my Republican base. Evidently Jason Ravnsborg doesn’t want to draw attention to his race, doesn’t think he can withstand more than one fall face-to-face encounter with his opponent, and doesn’t think he can rally Republicans in a strong Republican county whose experienced state’s attorney he happened to beat for the GOP’s nomination.
Ravnsborg has a jury trial October 4? Where? Some enterprising individual should attend and witness the Republican Party’s nominee’s inaugural attempt at a jury trial. Will jury selection and trial all go down on the same day?
Ravnsborg has a jury trial? Some enterprising individual should attend, take notes, and report back on the Republican Party’s nominee for attorney general and his inaugural appearance before a jury. Will jury selection and trial all go down on the same day?
Ducking debates seems to be the new strategy, doesn’t it? Let’s just hope that people are seeing the ducking for what it really is.
I bet JR would show up if Trevor Jones, the head of SDDPS invited him.
I don’t think he has a jury trial. He’s simply trying to be like Fitz, a real States Attorney and a real lawyer. I think he tried to emulate Fitz during the campaign. If Ravnsborg is afraid to debate, why is Ravnsborg running. I also think it’s funny that Pat Powers is ignoring the unraveling of the Ravnsborg campaign. Ken Crow where are you? Why is a man that was called incompetent by a circuit judge in Bon Homme County running for AG anyway? Why do the most powerful political people in South Dakota want Ravnsborg in office. Ask yourself that question. What has Ravnsborg promised to do or NOT DO?
Yeah, Nick! That’s the deputy sheriff vs angry dad case where Ravnsborg is representing the dad who filed a frivolous protection order request against the deputy: https://dakotafreepress.com/2018/08/23/ravnsborg-defending-angry-dads-frivolous-attack-against-deputy-sheriff/
That’s the case where Ravnsborg has resisted allowing expanded media access to the trial. Gee, why doesn’t Jason want attention?
90+ % of cases set for jury trial settle or get postponed. They ought to ask if he will schedule the debate as backup to his trial in the event it is cancelled. Odds are heavily he won’t have a trial, but he will have a free couple of days instead. It will be interesting to see his excuse around that proposal.
/2014/05/crow-ravnsborg-didnt-fire-me-lederman-arends-urged-him-to-run/
I’m hearing that Ravnsborg’s spokesman may have been stretching the truth when he said his campaign is committed to “an event” with SDPB. I’m hearing SDPB is not hosting a debate for the AG candidates.
I’m hearing that Ravnsborg’s spokesman may have been stretching the truth when he said his campaign is committed to “an event” with SDPB. I’m hearing SDPB is not hosting a debate for the AG candidates. The Lawrence County event may have been Ravnsborg’s only chance to compete with Seiler face to face, and he ducked it.
Oh, and good point, Kelly: the court papers said the deputy-vs-mad-dad case will be heard October 4, but I’m not sure they’ve said they are calling a jury.
So Rvns is SD’s Kavanaugh, a stooge for a particular Pootiepublican need, but totally incompetent? But wait. The “totally incompetent” part would make him more like Pootie’s Puppet.
Both are bad.
There is no SDPB sponsored or broadcast debate for the SD AG office. Mr. Ravnsborg is a liar, is instructing his minions to lie, or has liars as minions. Pick.