SD Atty General Marty Jackley talks to Argus about his impending run for Governor

The Argus Leader is featuring South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley in an article this morning where Marty talks extensively about what looms on the horizon for him less than two years from now – an almost certain run for Governor:

jackleyheaderServing as the state’s top law enforcement official allows an attorney general to keep a high profile and foster a reputation for standing tall in the face of tragedy, highlighting why “AG” is sometimes presented as “aspiring governor.”

“It certainly prepares you from an executive experience standpoint of leading people, handling budgets and knowing all aspects of state government,” says Jackley, who has already started fundraising and says there’s a “likelihood” he will run for the top job in 2018.

“It’s like a job interview. People watch how you work, and they’ve always taken care of the attorney general in those governor races when he focused in on doing his job and serving the people.”

and…

He’s done all the right things to position himself to run,” says Watertown attorney and prominent state Republican Lee Schoenbeck, who has served four total terms in the state legislature. “The thing he may lack is that with Janklow, circumstances catapulted him to the office because law and order became a major issue of that era. I’m sure that Marty Jackley doesn’t wish on the state some catastrophe from which he can prove his leadership skills.”

Certainly not. But as he prepares for a 2018 race that will almost certainly include rising Republican force Mark Mickelson and perhaps even U.S. Representative Kristi Noem, Jackley is seizing upon government integrity and public trust as issues that can set him apart.

Go read the entire article here.

As we move through the beginning days of the active 2016 election cycle, it’s more and more apparent how the world is going to abruptly change in South Dakota politics once the dust settles in November.

Unlike his likely opponents, and not having to get through 2016, Marty has the ability to be off and running for Governor now, while Congresswoman Kristi Noem and State Representative Mark Mickelson have to get through another job interview this fall with the voters before they can even consider joining in the hunt for the brass ring in South Dakota politics.

It’s heady stuff, but I don’t think Marty is the type who is going to get too far ahead of himself, as there has always been a practical sense to his approach in the office. When those in the political scene are more often than not prone to go off wild-eyed and half-cocked with demands and pronouncements, Marty’s conduct in the office has always been grounded in practicality, procedure, and in deep recognition of what the law.

Contrary to what Annette Bosworth’s supporters may contend, Marty hasn’t really been one to go off on witch hunts, and has dealt with the matters in front of him based on fact.  And that grounded practicality is a good thing.

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The article today also highlights another HUGE problem that is evident in the Republican party; one that we’re going to have to ultimately come to grips with in June of 2018.

Today, talking about the Argus article on him, the discussion is about Marty. But there are two other heavyweights in the race. Given the field of potential contenders, how do you choose?  Seriously? Attorney General Marty Jackley, State Representative Mark Mickelson, and Congresswoman Kristi Noem are all outstanding candidates in their own right, and it’s easy to see any of them taking up residence in the Governor’s mansion.

All have their high points. All have areas of critique. And I’m sure they’ll all be starting to talk about it over the next 26 months – especially after November.  It will be up to us to assess those discussions, and pick which shining star in the GOP’s sky is our favorite.

31 thoughts on “SD Atty General Marty Jackley talks to Argus about his impending run for Governor”

  1. AG Jackley is demonstrating that he is a skilled politician, however what SD needs is a leader. I see nothing in Jackley’s resume or actions that convince me he’s anything more than a bureaucrat and politician. Has he at anytime articulated a vision for SD other than more government programs. Personally I find him to be a intelligent, pleasant individual but I think SD will need more.

  2. I’d like to see a poll of SDWC readers asking if Noem will actually run.

    Do you think Noem will run for Governor?

    Yes

    No

    I’m leaning no.

    Relationship with Paul Ryan. I think there is a higher likelihood she runs for senate in 2020 whether Rounds is running or not.

  3. Whomever it is better correct us back to conservative principles. They better be ready to say read my lips no new taxes and government expansions. Mark has already been disqualified big time in that category. In fact anyone with Sioux Falls Republican values is out in my book!

    1. “Sioux Falls Republican values?”

      I’m not sure if I should laugh at that, or to groan.

      1. I don’t know about you guys, but I was born and raised in Northwest Iowa. Trying to get South Dakota Republicans to step it up a notch or three.

      2. Apparently you haven’t talked to the Sioux Falls delegation about how much pressure the establishment republicans put on them. I counted several times in various articles where Sioux Falls republican legislators who supported the tax/expansion used the word progressive in their description.
        Not to say there aren’t plenty of good conservatives like Steve Westra in Sioux Falls.

  4. Honestly I think Marty has some big hurdles. So does Mickelson.

    Marty has to show that he is not a Mike Rounds 3.0. Not because Rounds was bad or great but because voters don’t want more of the same – not necessarily policy but lineage. Is he his own guy or is team Rounds pulling the strings.

    Mickelson has similar questions. Is he a candidate because of his own merits or because of who his father and grandfather were.

    I believe we will find out that there are elements of both with Jackley and Mickelson.

    South Dakotan’s like to break the mold every so often.

    I think it’s about time again.

    It’s a woman’s race to lose.

    We shouldn’t rule out Stephanie Herseth as a formidable candidate either.

    1. I hope South Dakotan’s aren’t so stupid that they would vote in Stephie. She is a liberal Demo to the core, and we surely don’t need that-look what it’s done to the country! Tell her to go back to Texas where she can’t do any harm.

  5. Headline on the frobt page of the Argus: “Jackley calls for conflict legislation”

    I’m confused about the conflict of interest legislation Jackley is calling for. Didn’t Mickelson and 104 other legislators already do this with Daugaard?

    Corey Brown and Tideman have to be a little annoyed that Marty didn’t show up to help last year.

    1. You’re clearly in the know, so you also know that the governor and a few of the pro Mick legislators are in box out mode.

  6. Marty is a day late and a dollar short when it comes to conflict legislation. He knows it too.

    1. Yes, especially since he was alerted a year ago in May by reporter Bob Mercer about the financial issues the state Department of Legislative Audit uncovered at Mid Central Educational Cooperative in Platte. Alerted before the September tragedy. Makes me wonder if all of his road trips to Platte to hold press conferences are the result of a guilty conscience.

      1. How do you know? Marty said in the argus the murders was the first he’d heard.

        1. Go back and read my comment. Re-read it a couple of times if that helps. Then try using common sense and logic. Perhaps you’ll understand it.

  7. I’ve heard both Mark and Marty make their pitches; Marty focuses on particulars, “what we’re doing now” type things whereas Mark targets emotions with angst about kids leaving the state, cues the violins every time he opens his mouth. What troubles me is that the devil is in the details: you can advocate for all kinds of spending if you say it will induce young people to stay in South Dakota. I would like to know how much it’s going to cost me to induce young people to continue living here.

    1. Last night I had the opportunity to attend the Lincoln Day Dinner in Watertown. Because I’ve heard the rumors of Mark and Marty running to be our next governor I chose to go.

      I wanted to see their chops on display.

      I’d like to forewarn everyone that I do have a potential favorite as a candidate. That person is Matt Michels. Since he’s out my vote is up for grabs. (I like to think that Michels would be better than Daugaard – disappointed in DD and I’ve always liked MM)

      Time will tell but I left the dinner disappointed in both as candidates and wanting another option. Both are nice and good guys. Neither are what we need in SD right now.

      My vote is still up for grabs. Kristi could be that option. Ive heard it said that a democrat might clean Pierre up better than a republican for 4 or 8 years. Because with these majorities nothing as liberal as this past year would happen.

  8. Jackley has a huge credibility problem with all the corruption of the last six years and Mickelson is so liberal, he should be a registered Democrat.

    Republicans deserve and need an actual conservative candidate. It doesn’t appear to have any on the horizon.

  9. It’s about time we had a primary fight. Really haven’t had a serious one since Rounds-Barnett-Kirby and that was a mud contest, not leadership vetting. None of the names in contention have had to run a close statewide campaign about issues against tough, qualified opponents. We’ll see who steps up and who flames out.

    Going to be fun.

    1. That is a great point. Volesky and Haber haven’t sharpened Jackley’s skills and Mickelson has gone unopposed since the 2010 SDDP massacre. Even Noem road a title wave. A primary fight is what they need.

      Right now, I don’t think Mickelson or Jackley inspire much in their supporters. Noem would walk away with it on personality but she hasn’t done anything in DC and that’s where Mickelson has something to point to. He will accomplish a lot. Jackley has not accomplished much either but he’s been a good prosecutor and AG.

  10. Marty is an awesome leader, ask his staff. He will make you proud that you voted for him. He is a true Conservative!

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