The first placeholder has withdrawn from the Legislative races. Remarkably, that placeholder is incumbent Republican Representative Les Heinemann: …Heinemann, 63, stated his decision not to…
Dakota Free Press Posts
Democratic candidate for governor Billie Sutton spoke to about 40 voters at a Chamber-sponsored forum at the Aberdeen Ramkota today. I offer three key observations:
- The Ramkota was better lit than the last several times I’ve gone there to hear candidates speak.
- Sutton is prepared to brand Republican nominee Kristi Noem as a creature of the status quo at a time South Dakota needs change.
- Sutton wants to invest in lots of good programs and services that he’ll have a hard time paying for campaigning as a “taxed enough already” fiscal conservative.
Sutton opened with a mild eight-minute speech, telling his personal story, citing some key Legislative accomplishments in which he’s had a hand (like raising teacher pay out of last place), and listing things we need to fix, like creating a needs-based scholarship, lowering the tuition burden on college students, and reducing the food tax, which he says is throttling upward mobility for the middle class. He also made good use of his current job (the kind of private sector job his opponent hasn’t had for at least eight years) to talk about the people he works with as an investment advisor who are struggling to save money for their kids and their retirement:
Some national pundits agree with me that Billie Sutton’s story is good enough to give Democrats a better shot than usual at winning South Dakota’s…
South Dakotans have a great political nerd race ahead, as policy wonk Dusty Johnson claims the Republican nomination to challenge retired judge and wonky Democrat…
Tuesday was no great day for outsiders running for Legislature. 63 candidates were vying for 36 available slots in 24 primary contests—twelve two-seat House districts,…
I recognize that Attorney General Marty Jackley lacks charisma. I think I underestimate how much charisma Congresswoman Kristi Noem projects to people who have yet…
I made more than a little deal out of the Citizens for Liberty Legislative scorecards on general and fiscal conservatism. Republicans voters did not. There…
In yesterday’s special primary election, South Dakotans recognized that Marsy’s Law, the vanity project peddled by California billionaire Henry T. Nicholas, is deeply flawed. To…
The Sore Loser Award in yesterday’s primary goes to Sheriff Lenny Gramkow of Bon Homme County. One minute after the polls closed in Bon Homme…
¨”It’s time for a new sheriff in town!” Aberdeen policeman and legislator Dan Kaiser boldly proclaimed in his newspaper ads. I agreed, although I didn’t…