The Argus Leader has an article on-line today where they’re speculating on who the Democrats could pick for Governor, and Argus political reporter Joe Sneve presents us with a list of six names, with several leaving us head scratching. Now, Joe is arguably one of the best political reporters they’ve had since Dave Kranz… but I’m not sure where he came up with some of these picks speculating on who the Democrats might run:
South Dakota Democratic Party vice chair Nikki Gronli told the Argus Leader last week the party is working with a handful of potential candidates considering a 2022 run for the governor’s mansion in Pierre. But formal decisions likely won’t come until late summer or early fall.
“No one is ready to come out just yet,” she said, adding several party members from across the state are in the exploratory phase of a campaign, conducting behind-the-scenes polling to assess where they stand and waiting to see who else emerges.
From here, he comes up with a list of six names .. and as noted, some of them seem to be coming out of left field, as Joe tells us to look at Billie Sutton, Dan Ahlers, Bob Sutton, Troy Heinert, Brendan Johnson, Mike Huether, and Steve Hildebrand.
Er…..Maybe we can take a couple of those names seriously. But there’s a number on the list that I just can’t.
Of the serious ones, all Democrats would kill to have Billie Sutton run again.. even though Kristi stripped him of his “he might be conservative aura” in the last election to show that he flip-flops on abortion, has mentioned exploring a state income tax, and the whole Bernie Sanders thing. So he’d be starting from that far behind.
Dan Ahlers would be one of the not serious ones, as evidenced from the abysmally bad campaign he ran for US Senate last election.
Avera CEO Bob Sutton switching parties and running? Where did Joe come up with this off-the-wall one? Bob has been Republican for years, and I don’t think that him dropping his position to get into politics is even conceivable. Nobody says I’m in high position in one of the state’s top organizations, and I want to drop it all to get beat up for the next year running for office, and then if I win, I have to live in Pierre, and still get beat up.
Troy Heinert is noted as telling “the Argus Leader he’s eyeing a statewide run.” I see that as one of the few serious possibilities, as I could see Heinert taking one for the team and running so Democrats have an opponent.
Brendan Johnson? I was just reading even today that he’s more interested in being an attorney and has no interest in running for office. He’d be on their wish list, but if he ran, I don’t think he’d want to be Governor.
Mike Huether running as a Democrat? Well, remember that time when he was their highest ranking elected Democrat, and the headline in the paper read “Huether Dumps Dems?” And he took inspiration from Donald Trump. I’m sure that would play well with the Democrat Faithful.
I’ve heard rumors that Huether would only re-write a 1 year contract with KELO for his show because he might run for office within the next two years.. but Democrats seriously running him as a candidate? I think that bridge was not just burned, but was blown up.
And rounding out the list is perpetual I-might-run Steve Hildebrand. Which is another one that can’t be taken seriously, since he’s been said to maybe-run for every race for the last decade. That’s another dog that isn’t going to hunt.
So, on the list might be Heinert as the most serious candidate, followed closely by Sutton.. and it drops off quickly?
Democrat’s hopes for Governor are looking as bleak as their congressional chances.
I read this column as well and it gave me a good morning chuckle. There’s one or two folks on the list that can be seen as relatively strong non-Republican gubernatorial candidates. Mike Huether and Brendan Johnson. Of course neither would challenge a popular sitting governor. Huether would have to change back his party affiliation, which probably wouldn’t sit well with voters. And Brendan Johnson is, well Brendan Johnson. Voters are tired of dynastic political families so he’s got a bit of an uphill battle. Those would be the top non-Republican contenders for the open seat in 2026. Like I said, neither is too dumb to challenge a sitting governor.
The funniest part of this column (other than listing a handful of people nobody knows. Who’s Dan Ahlers anyway? If he ran against Rounds he did a really bad job) is that they list Bob Sutton – a registered Republican – as a possible democrat challenger to Noem. This reads more like a one of Jonathan Ellis’s weird political fanfic pieces or his awful and inaccurate analysis of things and less like a good Joe Sneve piece.
The final thing is that media in South Dakota falsely inflate the importance and influence of Democrats in the state. The parties are not on equal footing in terms of influence and power and media should stop treating them like they are.
SDDP for the short and long term is toast. There would have to be a new non-fringe political party to emerge, offer competition and serve as an opposition party.
Where is Susie Blake? Susan Wismer? Bree Oatman!
SDDP is a party of old white men. Remember how they dumped Paula Hawks for Randy Seiler? In the eyes of democrats, the future is not female.
But she resigned. She didn’t get dumped.
In the sense that Nixon went out on his own terms, too.
No, you are mistaken. I know what happen here.
I’ll bite. What is a Bree Oatman?
She was just beat running for Pierre School Board.
https://twitter.com/electbreeoatman/status/1402094823885189120
(I had to look that up. I thought it was a breakfast cereal at first).
If a genie appeared to Bob Sutton today and said “All you have to do is snap your fingers and you will be the governor for the next eight years” – Sutton might do it. Alot of people might do it.
But running for governor is grueling. And in this case, you are taking a chance that the Dems will nominate you – a lifelong Republican with Republican beliefs and all sorts of ties to other Republicans – and then a second chance that, if that works, you can somehow beat a reasonably popular incumbent governor.
And you have to leave Avera to take this long shot, which means you likely wind up losing both your Avera job and the governor’s race.
Bob Sutton would be crazy to do that. And there is no reason to think he would even entertain switching parties, or running for governor. Not happening.
The only way a high level executive in South Dakota runs for public office is as a retirement project. Why give up the power, influence and sizeable paycheck to move to Pierre and have to put up with the legislature and Pierre bureaucrat class (Pierreaucrats?)
Billie won’t get past his allegiance to Socialism which doesn’t sit well with people who actually like freedom and can take care of themselves. I don’t think the Johnson name is any kind of leg up given the way Tim supported everything Democrat/Socialist in his last years in office, and I think people are sick of others trying to claim a place of power due to a last name. Huether is a politician and has no principals, hence his switch to independent because that is what voters want; he is a washed up has-been and I wouldn’t vote him in as dog-catcher (no offense to the fine folks at Sioux Falls animal control).
Hahaha. Huether a dog catcher, funny.
However, I think he would make a better parking ramp attendant in HIS parking ramp in DT Sioux Falls.
Johnson is too busy surfing the internet.
My guess is, that it will either be Troy or Billie; and between the two, I would say probably Troy.
Who?
They were a great band.
If only mike from iowa was mike from south dakota .. we’d be SAVED!
You mean the Idiot Out Wandering Around? Dakota Fake Press most loyal follower?