Jerry’s out, Chuck is #1, and Tom is as yet unannounced while Fred makes his move
State Representative Charles Turbiville is Number 1. And the only one, according to the Secretary of State.
Counting who has turned in petitions for the legislature, Turbiville is the only candidate who has done so to date. And with his petition, it seems as if he’s taken himself out of the running for Jerry Apa’s Senate seat which is being vacated due to term limits. That seat might be taken by Representative Tom Hills, who has not publicly announced his intentions to date.
In that district, the Black Hills Pioneer is announcing that former Mayor Fred Romkema has thrown his hat in the ring for the house:
Fred Romkema of Spearfish has announced his candidacy for the state House of Representatives, representing District 31. Romekema is a Republican.
Romkema served as mayor of Spearfish in the early to mid 90’s and states that his experience in city government (that includes service as a member of the city council) would enable him to effectively represent the constituents of District 31. As the executive director of the Northern Hills Training Center, he has represented and served as an advocate for the agency in Pierre on numerous occasions over three decades.
Raised on a farm near Armour, S.D., Romkema has been a resident of Spearfish for over 30 years. He graduated with bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in speech and hearing pathology from the University of South Dakota. He began his career in the Northern Hills as a speech and hearing therapist in the Lead-Deadwood School District and traveled throughout the region conducting speech and hearing examinations for students. During the late 70’s, he was also a co-owner of Mountain Goat Sports in Deadwood.
I continue to feel as giddy as a schoolgirl at the prospect of the election cycle gearing up.
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Comments
In this Black Hills Pioneer article from January 7, Tom Hills talks of his intentions to run for the Senate seat.
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19175869&BRD=1300&PAG=461&dept_id=156925&rfi=8
Fred is going to be a formidable candidate.
I should also point out if history is any sort of teacher, an open seat in Lawrence County usually makes for a lively GOP primary.