Category: Uncategorized

Gov. Noem to Campaign with Tulsi Gabbard in Rapid City and Sioux Falls

 RAPID CITY & SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA – On Wednesday, November 2, Governor Kristi Noem will host campaign rallies in both Sioux Falls and Rapid City with former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, who left the Democrat Party due to its extreme left-wing positions.

Additionally, the Kristi for Governor campaign launched an ad featuring Rep. Gabbard. The ad is called, “Reject the Extreme.”

“Extremists like Jamie Smith are why I left the Democrat Party,” Tulsi Gabbard says in the ad. “Kristi Noem is a friend of mine. We believe in defending Freedom and protecting what makes this country so special. South Dakota is a place of Freedom – let’s keep it that way. Vote Kristi Noem for Governor.”

Tulsi points out Jamie Smith’s extreme liberal beliefs, like support for raising taxes, mandating vaccines, and taking away 2nd Amendment gun rights.

While serving in Congress together, Kristi Noem and Tulsi Gabbard were friends and workout buddies despite their different partisan affiliations.

The Rapid City rally will take place on Wednesday at 9am MT at the Holiday Inn Rapid City Downtown Convention Center. You can sign up for the Rapid City event here.

The Sioux Falls rally will take place on Wednesday at 6pm CT at the South Dakota Military Heritage Alliance. You can sign up for the Sioux Falls event here.

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Gov. Noem to Host Sioux Falls Rally with Gov. Glenn Youngkin

SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA – On Wednesday, November 2, Governor Kristi Noem will host a campaign rally in Sioux Falls with special guest Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin. The rally will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown at 3pm CT.

Governor Glenn Youngkin was elected in a blue state last year despite long odds and a well-funded well-known opponent. He remained focused on the concerns of Virginia parents, including opposition to Critical Race Theory.

You can sign up for the event here.

WHAT: Kristi for Governor rally
WHO: Governor Kristi Noem and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin
WHEN: Doors open at 2:30 pm CT; rally begins at 3pm CT
WHERE: Hilton Garden Inn Sioux Falls Downtown, 201 E. 8^th St. Sioux Falls, SD 57103

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Jennifer Keintz, Dem. Nominee for Lieutenant Governor, Prefers “Elite Institutions” to SD Universities

 PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA – In 2019, in a letter to the editor to the New York Times, Jennifer Keintz said that she will “strongly suggest elite institutions” when it comes time for her daughter to attend college, not South Dakota universities. Jennifer Keintz is the Democrat nominee for South Dakota Lieutenant Governor.

In the letter, Keintz said that SDSU is not a “prestigious university” and that it didn’t “open doors” for her. You can find the letter here.

“Does Jamie Smith condone his running mate’s elitist rhetoric?” said Governor Kristi Noem. “I went to Northern State and graduated from SDSU. I love these schools. If Jamie is a ‘moderate,’ why did he pick such a liberal running mate?”

Jennifer Keintz has made other radical claims during this election cycle, including advocating for biological males to compete in girls’ sports. Jennifer Keintz was rated the most liberal South Dakota legislator.

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From Twitter, I think the universal view is that the SDSU poll whiffed it badly with their methodology.

The polling numbers I'm seeing from @EmersonCollege @TheHill sure makes some of the previous "poll" numbers bounced around on here look silly. @SenJohnThune race is one example. This shows him up 58%-27%.https://t.co/wvTNDV4UHJ

— Jonathan Ellis (@DakotaScoutJon) October 26, 2022

From Twitter, looks like Jennifer Keintz is drawing some fire from Governor Noem over something I’d pointed out a while ago. That Keintz is a bit of a snob, and wasn’t afraid to tell people so:

Jamie’s running mate wants her kids to go to “elite institutions,” not South Dakota universities. Does @RepJamieSmith agree? Does he condone this elitist rhetoric?

I went to Northern State and graduated from SDSU. I love these schools.

>>> https://t.co/IvPMurcBMG pic.twitter.com/YT94GxyICo

— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) October 26, 2022

The Hill website is reporting further on the Emerson poll South Dakota poll numbers, and getting further into the meat of how the poll is noting but good news for Governor Noem, and really, really bad news for Jamie Smith:

While Noem’s lead isn’t unexpected, the poll suggests that she’s drastically expanded her base of support since she first won the governor’s mansion in 2018. That year, she defeated Democrat Billie Sutton by fewer than 4 percentage points.

It also helps her case that she remains popular among South Dakota voters. A majority — 56 percent — said they have a favorable view of Noem, while 43 percent have an unfavorable opinion.

Smith, meanwhile, is underwater among voters. Forty percent of respondents said they have a positive opinion of Smith, the minority leader of the South Dakota state House, while 47 percent have an unfavorable view of him. 

Read the entire story here.

Smith’s negatives are higher than his positives? Well, when you talk about raising taxes, I think that’s a given.

The Hill is also reporting that Senator Thune is running away to victory over Brian Bengs on a 58-27% prediction, while Dusty’s is running over the Libertarian by 59-16%

Now these seem to be numbers we can take more seriously.

In a poll taken with telephone respondents on October 19-21 (versus the SDSUS e-mail in poll), KELOland is reporting this morning that Governor Kristi Noem has an utterly commanding lead among South Dakotans on a basis of 56% to 37% for Democrat Jamie Smith.  But no matter who you ask, except for a small group of Democrats, just about everyone expects the Governor will still be the Governor on November 9th.

Incumbent Republican Gov. Kristi Noem is the planned choice for 56% of voters compared to 37% for Smith. Three percent plan to vote for Libertarian Tracy Quint. Most voters have already selected their candidate as 4% are undecided.

However they planned to vote, 74% of the voters expect Noem to get re-elected. Forty-five percent of the registered Democrats expect Noem to win while 91% of Republicans do and 68% of Independents/Other party do.

Go read the entire poll here at Keloland.com.

Kristi for Governor Launches New Ad: “The Conversation Continues”

PIERRE, SOUTH DAKOTA – Today, the Kristi for Governor campaign launched a new ad called “The Conversation Continues.” The ad plays verbatim additional comments that Jamie Smith made at the Sioux Falls Downtown Rotary where he stated, “We need more things to tax.”

At the Rotary event, when he was specifically asked a follow-up question about this comment, Jamie said, “New things to tax, right? Not all these things are actually – some of them are shifts as well. Does that makes sense?” The ad highlights these comments.

“No, it doesn’t make sense,” said Ian Fury, Communications Director at Kristi for Governor. “The people of South Dakota deserve to know – what ‘new things’ or ‘shifts’ is Jamie Smith looking to add to their tax burden?”

Jamie Smith has a record of raising taxes. He opposed the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which then-Congresswoman Noem helped pass for the people of South Dakota. That bill put $2,400 back in the pockets of the average South Dakota family.

Jamie Smith also wanted to make it easier for counties to raise taxes on South Dakotans, and he cosponsored a bill to raise the state sales tax from 4.5% to 4.85%.

Governor Kristi Noem is proud that South Dakota has a low, simple tax code. South Dakota has no personal income tax, no corporate income tax, and no statewide personal property tax. Governor Noem has proposed eliminating the sales tax on food, which will lower the tax burden on South Dakotans by another $100 million.

To learn more about Jamie Smith’s history of supporting high taxes, visit JamieandJoe.com.

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From my mailbox, an important finding as we wind down to the final days of the campaign.. The Hughes Co State’s Atty has found no violations on South Dakota law on State plane use…

 

LaMie releases findings on Government Accountability Board complaints

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, October 25, 2022

PIERRE, S.D. – Hughes County State’s Attorney Jessica LaMie announced today the end of the Division of Criminal Investigation’s inquiry into complaints that Gov. Kristi Noem had misused the state airplane and that the plane’s flight records had been tampered with.

LaMie and the DCI concluded that there were no facts to support a criminal prosecution under current law for the use of the airplane and that the allegation regarding flight records was frivolous.

“I want to thank the DCI for conducting a thorough and professional investigation,” said LaMie. “There is no basis to pursue these matters further.”

The original complaints were filed with the Government Accountability Board. The board referred them to Attorney General Mark Vargo on Sept. 9, 2022, asking that the DCI investigate. Vargo recused himself and the Attorney General’s Office and asked LaMie to oversee the inquiry and make any charging decisions.

LaMie on Monday informed the Government Accountability Board that she had concluded her inquiry and referred the matter back to the board.

LaMie said she would have no additional comment and referred any additional questions to the Government Accountability Board or the Attorney General’s Office.

South Dakota Republican Party Chairman Dan Lederman files campaign finance complaint against Smith for Governor

UNION COUNTY – Today, South Dakota Republican Party Chairman Dan Lederman filed a complaint with the South Dakota Secretary of State against Jamie Smith’s campaign. The complaint is regarding Smith for Governor’s more than 1,500 campaign finance violations in the Pre-General report last night. Smith for Governor failed to include the addresses, cities, and states of donors in each of these 1,500 instances.

“Each omission is a plain violation of basic, long standing, and well-settled campaign finance requirements, and each is a criminal act,” Chairman Lederman states in his complaint. “Given the importance of guaranteeing integrity in our constitutional election process, we are requesting immediate relief.

Last night, the Kristi for Governor campaign called for an immediate investigation into Jamie Smith’s campaign finance violations.

The complaint calls for two remedies from the South Dakota Secretary of State’s office:

• Commence a contested case pursuant to chapter 1-26 against Smith for Governor; and
• Refer the complaint to the Division of Criminal Investigation for an investigation pursuant to chapter 23-3.

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