While Tony Venhuizen waits for incumbent Representatives Sue Peterson and Richard Thomason to officially step into a District 13 primary, all three of District 3’s aspiring repeat legislators face hard primary contests in Aberdeen. While Representative Drew Dennert is bailing out of Pierre so he doesn’t have to pretend to live in town, his seatmate Carl Perry and poor Kaleb Weis, who got redistricted out of District 2 into District 3, want to go back to the House and long-lingering self-serving Senator Al Novstrup wants to remain a Senator.
But some Aberdeen powers that be evidently want new Republican representation in all three seats. The well-connected Rachel Dix has filed her petition to run against Novstrup in the primary. On the House side, we have nominating petitions from two upper crust Aberdeen Republicans: longtime Dacotah Bank poobah Richard Rylance and Catholic Community Foundation board member Brandei Schaefbauer.
Rylance doesn’t post much to the Internet, but Schaefbauer is easy to find alongside her husband, Primrose Retirement Communities president BJ Schaefbauer.
Carl and Kaleb can’t beat those pix on a primary postcard.
Schaefbauer also enjoys tweeting anti-vax/pro-ivermectin paranoia from Senator Ron Johnson, Robert F. Kennedy Jr…
…so she brings business and church connections to check Carl Perry’s electoral advantages and just enough right-wing anti-science whackdoodlery to snuff out what little Kaleb Weis has to offer Aberdeen’s angry Whitopians.
We’ll see what the postcards look like—and we still have three-plus weeks for more Republicans to enter, but right now, my District 3 House GOP primary prediction is Rylance first, Schaefbauer edging Perry for second, and Weis a dismal fourth.
If we must have a Republican, Rylance is an intelligent business leader who would not join the Wingnuts in their various social restrictions on personal liberty.