If you’d like to attend Dan Ahlers’s official announcement of his U.S. Senate campaign, come to the not-even-year-old Papa’s Pub and Eatery in downtown Dell Rapids on Monday at 10 a.m.
In his first statement following the filing of his FEC statement of organization, the former Democratic legislators says nothing about being a Democrat. He just talks about the need to send someone to Washington who can get things done:
“Washington has been taken over by partisan politics. Politicians are more concerned with the next election than getting the work of the people done. South Dakota deserves representation that will listen and find solutions for today’s challenges.” said Ahlers.
…Ahlers has served in both the South Dakota House and Senate. His leadership has been nationally recognized by the State Legislative Leaders Foundation and is the recipient of the BILLD and Henry Toll Fellowship through the Council of State Governments. His accomplishments include helping balance the state’s budget, improving funding for schools, increasing Medicaid reimbursements to critical need service providers, helping fund the new State Veteran’s Cemetery and establishing an advisory council to improve the delivery of educational services for children who are deaf and hard of hearing [Dan Ahlers U.S. Senate campaign, press release, 2019.09.26].
He does make a play for the honest Republican vote, noting his business bona fides:
Ahlers will make his announcement in front of family, friends and media in his hometown where he has been a small business owner and entrepreneur for nearly 20 years. In addition to his business experience, he is the current President of the Dell Rapids Chamber of Commerce, Interim Chamber Administrator, and spent six years in the State Senate and House. Dan is an active community member, contributing numerous hours and leadership to local events, boards and charities [Ahlers for Senate, 2019.09.26].
Ahlers sends an even bigger middle-of-the-road signal to all those moderate Republicans and independents who voted for Billie Sutton last year, not to mention Democrats hoping Sutton will run against Rounds, by including this endorsement:
“Dan Ahlers has a strong background in small business and economic development. He has a proven record of looking after taxpayers’ dollars in Pierre and building relationships across the aisle and with the people he represents.”—Billie Sutton [Ahlers for Senate, 2019.09.26]
Sutton’s early endorsement of the Ahlers campaign likely tells any other moderate, pragmatic (Democratic) aspirant to focus on Legislature or PUC and leave the marquee race to Ahlers. But it perhaps turns up the steam that could pressure an unparenthetical Democrat, the strong noisy liberal type who chafed under Sutton’s anti-choice record, theocratic pandering, and persistent Republican-Litery.
But bring your cameras to downtown Dell Rapids Monday, hear what Ahlers has to say, and see if he strikes you as the candidate who can give Mike Rounds his first election defeat.
Go Dan we are tired of Politicians who say one thing and do another.