Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Former Democrat Gubernatorial Candidate Billie Sutton apparently still holds out hope that he remains the anointed savior of the Democrat party in an interview with Kevin Woster of Public Radio, as he chirps up to the media to keep his name in the press in an effort to point out that he could be Democrats’ candidate for Governor again. Really… You never know.. He might just run again…

Billie Sutton took 10 days to think about what he wanted to say on Gov. Kristi Noem’s leadership in the battle against COVID-19.

And after that, he decided to say nothing, except this: “I think I’m going to decline commenting for now,” Sutton said by phone. “I’ve thought about it, since we talked, and I don’t know if it’s healthy to criticize at this time. I don’t know that we need negativity right now. I don’t see myself as being negative, but whatever I say could be taken that way.”

and..

He’s still interested in that governor’s job, however, even though he’s at least a year away from making a decision, or at least announcing it, on whether to run again in 2022.

“I’m getting a lot of encouragement on that, of course. And if you remember last time it was May of 2017 when I announced, a year and a half ahead of the general,” Sutton said. “I’ve got a structure, an organization in place, so I wouldn’t have to get out as early next time, if I ran. “

He would, however, want to make it official before the end of 2021, which now seems far enough away, especially if you have plenty of other things going on.

Read that here.

A Democrat has “a structure out there…?”  An “organization?”  That might be a stretch considering that same structure failed to get not one, but two candidates on the ballot in the Congressional race. ‘Structure’ and ‘organization’ are not words I’d use in conjunction with state Democrat politics.

On top of hinting that he’s somehow critical of Governor Noem for trying to keep people healthy and make sure they have jobs to come back to – an approach that’s earned her national praise during the coronavirus crisis.  Sorry, but the article is a bit shameless as Sutton tries to keep a profile – any profile – during a time when all eyes are on Governor Noem for her steady leadership.

I almost have to ask whether we should start counting down the months until Sutton announces his exploratory committee for Governor?  When is November – 6 months away?

And counting…

From facebook, State Senate candidate David Zellmer just posted an endorsement from former Governor Dennis Daugaard to his facebook page:

Early word out of yesterday’s Libertarian convention seem to indicate that the South Dakota Libertarian party has nominated a couple of candidates for office. And while they’ve been nominated, whether they stand the snowball’s proverbial chance in hades or not is entirely another thing altogether.

Libertarian Party Communications Director and past pot petitioner Devin Saxon reportedly appears to have won the nod to run for the Public Utilities Commission on behalf of the state’s only third party against whomever state Democrats may nominate, as well as current Republican Public Utilities Commissioner Gary Hansen.

The only Gubernatorial candidate to have been ejected as nominee by his party in State History in 2018, Libertarian CJ Abernathey has apparently climbed back on the horse and will supposedly be running for District 23 State Senate against the winner of the race between Republicans Bryan Breitling and Larry Nielsen.

Abernathey had been claiming he intended to burn a flag in 2018, a move in which the Libertarian party itself disavowed at the time as dredging up “many painful images of those who hate America and seek its destruction.”   Since that time, Abernathey has spent time looking for donations to pay bail for some criminal acts he was arrested for in another state.  And instead of threatening to burn the flag, lately Abernathey has been making overtures of a different nature:

So, instead of burning the flag, Abernathey moved to statements about how law enforcement officers need to be hung by the neck, and made similar statements about Governor Noem.

Somehow I don’t think that’s going to earn him sufficient support to win election.  And The South Dakota Senate might not be the institution he needs to be spending time in.

Who else is running? Libertarian party Chair Gideon Oakes is said to be making another run for District 30 State Senate. And there had been rumors of perennial candidate Kurt Evans offering himself up as a sacrificial lamb once again for US Senate.

We’ll have to wait for the official release to see what the complete list of candidates will bring from the island of misfit toys.

But suffice it to say that once again, every indication is there that another election will pass without anyone being elected to office in South Dakota with an (L) behind their name.

What is it with legislative candidates having run-ins with the law lately?

This time it is former 2018 Dem legislative candidate Brooks Briscoe of Aberdeen.

On 04/07/2020 Aberdeen Police responded to the Rolling Hills Golf Course for the theft of a golf cart. On 04/08/2020, Aberdeen Police responded to Lee Park Golf Course for the theft of another golf cart. On 04/22/2020 Aberdeen Police responded to the 400 block of N 4th Street for the theft of yet another golf cart.

Investigation led to the arrest of Brooks Rex Briscoe, age 53 of Aberdeen. He was charged with (3) counts of grand theft, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

(From a press release from the Aberdeen Police Dept dated May 7, 2020.)

Update – here’s the post:

Today is the National Day of Prayer, and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has prepared a message of thanks and hope for all South Dakotans.

Noticing a few of the NRA Primary election rankings are starting to slip out there tonignt.

In my Home District 7, they went down the line.. A,B & C..

In District 23, A’s went around to several of the candidates:

In Rapid City, David Johnson did well against Janet Jensen in his race for District 33 senate…

And Jessica Castleberry was given an A and chosen over her opponent, Kevin Quick, a drug felon (who had been given suspended imposition of sentence)  who only earned an “A qualified.”

Which leads one to the question… Is he even allowed to own a gun?  (Maybe that’s what the whole q thing is about.)

Anyone else getting their NRL-PVF ratings for the primary? Drop me a note here.

Update: On 5/9, District 33 Candidate Janet Jensen pointed out her rating has been amended:

Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken was tweeting yesterday what he’s observed about the leadership that’s come from the coronavirus pandemic.

When the history of the coronavirus pandemic is written, it will be remembered as a time when the strongest leadership had to come from the ground up… https://t.co/fnUNcyI3ik

— Paul Ten Haken (@paultenhaken) May 3, 2020

It looks like Lee Qualm wasn’t the only one called out for his sponsorship of the anti-vaccination House Bill 1235 measure a couple of months ago:

Isaac Latterell was also called out via a postcard to his legislative for his sponsorship of the measure.

So, as I note House Bill 1235 in the post below this one, and postcards in a post below that, it might be worth pointing out what started popping up in mailboxes in District 21 late last week:

“Say No to Anti-Vaxxers,” “fight the science deniers,” “stop the spread of fake health information,” and “Lee Qualm was the prime sponsor of House Bill 1235 – Vote NO for Lee Qualm on June 2 because our health depends on it.”

Not sure you need to say much more.

From the Rapid City Journal, Democrat State Representative Michael Saba was complaining that he’s looking for information on the science and facts behind what the state is doing on COVID-19:

Rep. Michael Saba sent a letter to Gov. Kristi Noem last Sunday asking her to test all of South Dakota’s citizens. In response, the Sioux Falls lawmaker was told to watch a press conference, thanked for his thoughts and wished well.

and..

He also said he’s asked for the data, science and facts behind the Department of Health’s previously shared projections and models for the peak infection rates of COVID-19. He hasn’t gotten any information back, he said.

Read that here.

Hm. Interesting he’s looking for science and facts. Because where was Michael Saba’s request for science and facts when he was sponsoring House Bill 1235 this session, to remove the requirements that school children be vaccinated against deadly childhood diseases, and make it a class 1 misdemeanor for the medical school to require it’s students be vaccinated?

As far as I’m concerned, given his anti-vaxxer bill sponsorship, Saba can just sit down and keep quiet until this pandemic is over.