Here’s some interesting scuttlebutt that’s coming across in the Steve Westra District 13 withdrawal. It sounds as if that State Representative Alex Jensen may have the blessings of good timing for a return to the ballot box.
Jensen had looked at running in the D13 Senate race, but given that he was in the middle of getting married, and moving, etcetera, he thought is would be best to take a step back, especially given that Jack Kolbeck was also a good candidate for the office.
Fast forward several months. There was no need for a primary, and Jensen is now a married man, albeit, one who is not running for office. And Steve Westra, a man who has a house seat in the district in which Jensen now resides, has now decided to take a step back.
As one door closed earlier this year for Jensen in making a decision to not run for the State Senate, it appears that another one may have just opened in the same district, just in the House.
Having served on the appropriations committee, Jensen has a good handle on the State’s finances, and a good working knowledge of the process, likely better than that of most other contenders for the seat. He’s got good connections to the Sioux Falls business community, and is visible as a local Realtor.
And more importantly, Jensen is a tremendous campaigner and fundraiser, which counts for a lot when it comes to winning the seat. Last election, as a new candidate who had not run for anything, he raised in the neighborhood of $30k. Now with a couple of years under his belt, he would have no trouble fending off any Democrat effort in the district with the open seat at hand.
There may be others who step into the race to replace Westra, but they would be hard pressed to bring what Jensen has to the table in terms of name ID, fundraising, and campaigning.
Watch for the replacement to be held sometime next week or shortly thereafter. And as far as I’m concerned, my bet is on Jensen for the win.
I think it is safe to assume that Daugaard would be one vote closer to Medicaid expansion if that seat goes from Westra to Jensen.
Why do you say that Anon?
Jensen, an immature liberal, would be a poor replacement for Westra.
Because I’m confident that Westra would be a firm no. While I don’t know for sure where Jensen is, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was a yes or at least a maybe.
You’re seriously putting too much faith in Venhuizen to even get a vote. It won’t even happen. Daugaard’s & Vehuozen’s losing proposition is to push what no one wants. I don’t get why those two want to go against the people and federal republicans. Lame.
Doubtful. Mediciad expansion won’t likely happen at all. Jensen is a good fiscal conservative and he’s not likely to support a plan that doesn’t make sense.
He wears one of those adolescent hunger games pins with Mathew Wollman.
I prefer Jensen to Wollman.
I prefer Wollman to Jensen
Both are extremely liberal. Neither.
Pat,
Great coverage of this resignation. No other news organization in SD has provided this kind of quality on this topic. It’s a shame.