The South Dakota Education Association, through its PAC, sent my District 3 Senate campaign $250 this year. That was mighty nice of my fellow educators.
The teachers union also spent $250 on Republican District 3 House candidate Carl Perry. They gave no money to anyone else in District 3.
SDEA recommends Perry and me among 60 Legislative candidates whom it names in its 2018 Voter’s Guide (and, I assume, has backed with cash). SDEA endorses 18 Senate candidates out of 35 seats and 42 House candidates out of 70 seats. Two of the Senate candidates it endorses, Democrats Susan Wismer and Reynold Nesiba, face no general election opposition; those endorsements thus have no practical effect on voters.
SDEA endorses no one in several contested races:
- Senate: Districts 2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 13, 16, 20, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 33, 34, 35
- House: Districts 8, 10, 15, 16, 21, 27, 28B, 29, 35
SDEA also endorses only one candidate instead of two in the House races in Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 19, 23, 25, and 32.
Now I recognize that SDEA is not necessarily snubbing candidates in the districts where it is endorsing no one or endorsing less than the full slate possible. Not every candidate returns the flyer or shows up for the PAC interview (and SDEA doesn’t just send a check: SDEA reviews incumbents’ voting records and requires non-incumbents to look local teachers union members in the eye and answer serious policy questions… as we should expect from people who make their living designing and grading assessments).
But without delving into the seats SDEA leaves unaddressed, let’s look at their recommendations and see what an SDEA Legislature would look like.
In the Senate, SDEA endorses nine Democrats and nine Republicans.
In the House, SDEA endorses 22 Democrats and 20 Republicans.
In neither chamber would that be enough Democrats to sustain vetoes issued by a Governor Billie Sutton, whom SDEA endorses, and give Democrats serious negotiating power.
SDEA supports a total Democratic ticket in only one district, 26, where it endorses Senator Tory Heinert and, in the split House districts, Rep. Shawn Bordeaux and Deb Smith.
SDEA supports a full Republican ticket in District 14, 22, and 31.
SDEA backs a combination of Democrats and Republicans in twelve districts: 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 17, 18, 19, 32, 33, and 34.
SDEA endorses no Libertarians or independents. 34 of its 60 endorsements are incumbents.
These endorsements make clear that the SDEA is far from a bastion of left-wing radicals. South Dakota’s teachers do not automatically vote Democratic; they would instead craft an evenly balanced Legislature.
The SDEA PAC gave $60,000 to candidates. $40,000 of the $60,000 went to Billie Sutton.
Jim Chilson & I (both former teachers) have been asked why EPIC (SDEA) did not endorse us. I wasn’t endorsed because I came to the game late, and Jim did not receive the survey. But, we are the best supporters of education in District 4–especially at the small school level…the level where we worked.
Is there any more detailed information available about their state legislator choices. VJ Smith literally said we “need to tighten our belts” when it comes to education in a forum, so I am surprised he was the District 7 Senate pick over Mary Perpich.
SDEA did not vet all candidates–If SDEA chose to endorse an incumbent, they didn’t bother to send the opponents challenging incumbents a survey.
My guess is the Trolls like this board better- https://www.rawstory.com/2018/10/gop-school-board-member-busted-facebook-plot-accuse-2020-dem-presidential-nominee-sexual-assault/
Jason reinforces my point: the vast majority of SDEA money went to moderates and conservatives.
Kathy, Erin, how can they overlook good education candidates like you?
Billie isn’t a moderate or conservative. He supports Bernie Sander’s policies.
Cory’s point was not reinforced, and was factually rebutted by me.
Jason, please give examples and proof of the Sander’s policies that Sen. Sutton supports. I would love to engage you in a specific value policy discussion instead of your attempt to invoke a boogie man.
o,
Billie didn’t say he likes “some” of Bernie’s policies. He didn’t say he didn’t like any of Bernie’s policies.
He said he likes Bernie’s policies.
You will have to ask Billie if he lied at the Brown County event.
Jason… I know you’re an outcast in your liberal home of Minnesota but I’ll say this to all my friends in SD. South Dakota should use Vermont as a template for the next generation and lots more of the best and brightest would stay home to raise their kids and build businesses.
I’ve spent a lot of time in VT. Vermont is more rural, more agricultural, more religious and much more economically successful that SD. Their ag and dairy products are marketed as world class but the quality isn’t any better that SD’s. Their cheese is famous. Their syrup is famous. If South Dakota is smart (?) they’ll listen to Billie Sutton, ash can the contrary stubbornness and fear of change and be better off for it.
There aren’t big towns in Vermont, like Aberdeen and Brookings. There’s a lot more action in farmer’s co-op’s. Even the city people like in Montpelier and Stowe shop in co-ops for better deals. That’s what socialism means in Vermont. The bastardization of the word is just a hold over from 75 years ago and used as a scare tactic by the hateful right, like you Miranda.
Vermont also recovered over a hundred million on their EB-5 scandal. SD got $2,000.
No kidding Tara. Corruption happens. Sweeping it under the rug so no one will be “embarrassed nationally” is not necessary.
Notice District 18: The Democrats have three good Legislative candidates, including Terry Crandall, who worked as a school counselor in Yankton for 33 years and Irene for 5 years before that and who now is the Yankton School Board president. Yet according to the SD EPIC campaign finance report SDEA snubs Crandall, gives $1,000 to his ticketmates Cwach for House and incumbent Kennedy for Senate, and gives $250 to Crandall’s tougher opponent, Republican House incumbent Rep. Jean Hunhoff.