Hey, radical conservative Lora Hubbel says she’s running for Governor.
Now before we get excited, let’s remember that the last two times Hubbel said she would run for Governor, she actually made it onto the ballot only once, in 2014, when she challenged incumbent Governor Dennis Daugaard in the Republican primary. Hubbel tried again in 2018, but failed to get enough petition signatures to qualify for the Republican primary, considered circulating an independent petition, then settled on trying to get the Constitution Party to nominate her, which, like most Constitution Party affairs, ended in farce.
In an effort to get her statewide ballot placement record up from 50% to 66.7%, Hubbel says she’ll run as an independent in 2022. That’s a wise choice: if she entered the GOP primary, she’d only be competing with fellow right-wing radical Steven Haugaard for the anti-Noem vote. I suspect there is no significant percentage of SDGOP primary voters who would pick Noem over Haugaard but who would pick Hubbel over Noem. Why should any outsider conservative like Hubbel waste all winter and spring on a humiliating tour of Lincoln Day dinners where Noem’s sniggering big-money insiders and Haugaard’s Legislative pals will control the agenda and make Hubbel sit at the kids’ table?
Hubbel makes a better bet staying out of a Republican Party food fight. Hubbel can let Haugaard do all the damage he can to Noem’s image and war chest in the spring while Hubbel focuses on collecting signatures and cash. She can watch the primary campaign closely, look for polling data to indicate which Haugaard issues gain traction, and then, after Haugaard’s likely defeat, retool those issues to mesh with whatever distinguishing agenda she crafts to appeal to the broader general electorate in the fall.
We liberals should, of course, cheer for Hubbel’s independent candidacy and even sign her nominating petition to help her get the 3,393 signatures she needs to qualify for the general election ballot. Hubbel on the November ballot does little damage to the Democratic candidate (assuming we find one!). No attentive Democrat will vote for Hubbel’s absurd anti-vax, anti-mask, anti-immigrant politics and conspiracy theories. Odds are neither will any other-party Sutton voter from 2018: they’ll either once again approve the usual centrist Democrat that the SDDP nominates or they’ll return for the safety and familiarity of Noem and her alternating fashion hats.
Hubbel’s appeal in the fall is disaffected conservatives who don’t hear enough crazy talk from Noem and the SDGOP establishment. Those disaffected conservatives will never vote for a Democrat in November, so Hubbel’s appeal to those voters only lowers Noem’s edge and makes Democrats’ work easier.
So keep an eye out for those Hubbel petitions, Dems! If Lora comes a-knocking, sign her petition and help her help us on the ballot in November!
This is, you know, some really great news. Young Ms. Hubbel, who is very pretty, has had her team reaching out to grudznick for some time now. I cannot divulge at this time what position they are asking me to consider, but let me tell you, it is not insignificant.
grudznick! – no porn allowed on this blog
I do not take offense or responsibility, and I do not apologize, Mr. Lansing, if your mind ran a bit randy on this issue. The reaching and positioning, such as I share on this blogging place, shall remain family oriented. Fellows like you will have to hear about the more salacious parts at places like the Bestro, which my close personal friend Bill frequents.
Ms. Hubbel is what she is. I do not recant.
Eric Clapton might come a do a gig for Ms. Hubbel and she could very easily get the support of another anti-mask and anti-vaxxwer, Robert Kennedy Jr. All she has to do is whistle.
Lora, Lora, quite uproara, how does thy platform flow?
We are preparing our brochures, Bob, which will lay out Lora’s, I mean Ms. Hubbel’s position very clearly. They will be distributed on handbills downtown Rapid, and I will make sure some with clean, crisp corners get down to Springs unsoiled.
Grudz, I like a fringe candidate in the Republican Party..after all, Noem is fringey as is about half the legislature…hope you get her ideas out there…you never know, spread the word maybe it will stick.A candidate cannot be too far Right in the Republican Party of South Dakota.There are plenty of “alternative universe” Republicans out there to recruit.
Gosh, another crazy in South Dakota. No wonder grudz is viagraing.
Cory, your article is spot on. Lora would expose the corruption and lies that Governor is trying to hide.
In 2018, Noem beat Sutton by 11,459 votes. In the 2014 GOP primary, Hubbel won 14,196 votes.
Independent petitions are due April 26. Any South Dakotan 18 or older may circulate a nominating petition. Any registered SD voter of any party affiliation may sign, as long as that voter has not signed the submitted and certified petition of another gubernatorial candidate.
she is a radical libertarian- as a real democrat- no thanks
grudz – As you are designing the blizzard of brochures for Ms. Hubbard, can you have one of them be headlined as follows? “My promise. I will not spend a single second campaigning for President of the United States until my second term as Governor is completed. South Dakota needs a Governor, not a Washington wannabe.”
Your dilemma, however, appears to be crafting some kind of Holy Image of The Donald that can top Noem’s sappy fifth head on Mt. Rushmore. How about Donald’s head on the crucified body of Jesus with the caption, “Thank you, Father, for they really don’t know what they do.” Perhaps an Oath Keeper could replace the Roman soldier at the foot of the cross!
Campaign manager grudznick, how about cutting through the chatter and giving your blog mates some no-nonsense inside track: what would Governor Hubbel do for the great state of SD?
grudz, will your pamphlets be printed on hemp paper using mushroom juice?