Bill Van Gerpen calling it a day, declines to run again.

I’d heard a rumor yesterday, which was quickly confirmed.Yet another legislator has decided not to run again.

District 19 State Senator Bill Van Gerpen confirmed to me yesterday that he has decided to take a pass on running for Senate this year, leaving a vacancy in the seat which has yet to be filled. 

No word on whether Kent Petersen or Kyle Schoenfish would move up to run for the office, or if someone not currently in office would enter the race. (Possibly someone who recently lost in a primary in a previous US Senate contest?)

7 thoughts on “Bill Van Gerpen calling it a day, declines to run again.”

  1. Stace is Mr. Reactionary.

    I thought he was still out putting up hwy signs to keep up with Glodt and the Rounds operation.

  2. Rounds has an “F” with most of the notable Republican organizations.

    I don’t know of any serious Republicans who thinks that Stace would not have had a conservative record equal to Cruz and Paul.

    Rounds is just what we knew he was going to be, another DC surrender RINO.

    Shame on Glodt and every other person who lied to South Dakotans and claimed Rounds was a conservative Republican.

  3. Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain were on the same team (Lakers), they dribbled, passed, rebounded, scored, defended to advance the Lakers. But nobody who knows anything about basketball would assert they were the same or there has ever been a player who could do as well what Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain did well. For example, a guy who could guard Oscar Robertson as well as West couldn’t guard Bill Russell as well as Wilt and vice versa. Even the hybrid Magic Johnson couldn’t do as well what West and Wilt did best.

    Using the basketball team analogy with regard to the GOP, Paul is part of the Libertarian wing of the party (ala West) while Cruz is part of the Conservative wing (Wilt) of the party. Yes Cruz and Paul (and a hybrid like Coburn who sacrificed libertarian or conservative philosophies in service of the other) come to a lot of the same conclusions ( as basketball players score, play defense, rebound, pass etc.) where when you look at the box score a lot of the stats (voting record) look the same but there are differences (ala West having more assists while Wilt had more rebounds). More importantly, if you listen to what they say and their rationale (watch the game), you realize how different they are at their core.

    Let’s take the Constitution as an example, Cruz sees it as a sword to advance conservative objectives (rhetorically sometimes as a shield but only to protect conservative objectives). Paul sees it as a shield to protect individual liberties (rhetorically sometimes as a sword but only when individual liberties are being attacked). Yes, on a lot of issues they reach the same conclusion but not always (difference between West making assists while Wilt gets rebounds).

    My point: A Republican can have the philosophical perspective of a libertarian, conservative, or hybrid. But, just it is impossible for a basketball player to bring the skill set of a West, Wilt, or Magic in equal measure, it is impossible to be a Cruz, Paul & Coburn. They are each different parts of the GOP coalition, each bringing different priorities and perspectives, each of value, yet contributing differently to the success of the team.

    And, myself as a fan, sometimes I leaned to West, other times to Wilt, other times to Magic. As a Republican, it is the same with regard to Cruz, Paul and Coburn.

    With regard to Stace, when he was in the legislature, he appeared to me to be clearly Cruz-esque (which I think at his core is where he is most comfortable but could be wrong). During the campaign, he gave glimpses of being Paul-esqe (but I think it was mostly rhetorical vs. where he is most comfortable at his core). And never did he remind me of the hybrid Coburn (part libertarian and part conservative and seldom pure in either).

    Not that this is good or bad. All are vital parts of the GOP team.

    P.S. I apologize for using basketball players from so long ago. The NBA is no longer a place that values distinct skills but has become a sport of hybrids. It was hard to think of players with the difference between West and Chamberlain to make my point.

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