51 thoughts on “Fitzgerald endorsed by Aaron McGowan, Minnehaha County’s Democrat State’s Atty”

      1. I agree completely.

        The headline should have been

        Democrat prosecutor with a rocketing crime rate that pushed and supports SB70 endorses Fitzgerald….OUCH

        With all this snow, Russell and Ravnsborg must be living right getting all these Christmas gifts early this week.

  4. Dem McGowan just single-handedly handed Ravnsborg a huge majority of the Minnehaha County GOP delegates

  5. McGowan is a Democrat still?? I thought he switched party’s like Litz.

  6. Wait, wait, wait. Y’all are saying that Mr. Fitzgerald is sunk because he was endorsed by a *gasp* Democrat?!?! Cripes, if that’s all it takes, Mr. Daschle should immediately endorse any Republican he can find, thus assuring a blue wave come November!

    If that’s what you’re basing your vote on, you have no business being a delegate. People should expect substance beyond base tribalism in their representatives. SAD!

    1. Good idea! Need to make a few phone calls, get the media and hold a few endorsement press conferences.

    2. Not me…it is not just because he is a Democrat but he is a big pusher of SB 70.

      He is an expert on prosecuting? he has a sky rocketing crime rate and is always on TV or int he papers complaining he needs more staff….

      Fitz just shot himself in the foot.

      We need a change!

      1. Wait, what? Do you blame rising crime rates on the states attorney? Shouldn’t you be happy they are prosecuting more crimes? Or are you unhappy the cops aren’t picking up enough people? Or too many people? Flesh this out, because it doesn’t make a lot of sense.

  8. First, that awful 2nd amendment video earlier this week and now this from the guy with the highest crime rate in the state and pushed SB70 and who is always whining on TV about he does not have enough resources. McGowan is everything that is wrong with prosecuting in our state and as a Democrat he is going to tell us Republicans who is the best candidate….please

    It is like Fitzgerald is trying to sabotage his own campaign.

      1. SB 70 is the biggest mistake for law enforcement and prosecutors in the last decade and McGowan is a huge pusher of it….It has ruined our criminal justice system.

        If that is the kind of judgment he has, no thanks.

        1. SB 70 was a huge mistake! We know first hand. Legal system had it’s hands tied, probation officer had his hands tied. Kid is in trouble all the time coming from a chaotic home life, kid dropped out of school, got another minor pregnant and is working on others. Rarely works and is probably destined for prison but either way taxpayers and victims will be on the hook and he could of been shown a different path and consequences for the choices he made. Instead SB70 just enabled his bad behavior and choices.

          1. Agreed. The diversion program is a joke for those wronged by juveniles. Aaron needs to be fired.

  9. Give credit to McGowan.
    McGowan of course would endorse the least likely to beat HIS PARTIES choice in November. Also McGowan also reinforces what many have thought about Fitz, yes he can prosecute cases. But NO WHERE in this endorsement does it say anything about
    1. Communication skills and the publicity the AG will undertake(your the face for South Dakota Attorneys and representing the people),
    2. Being able to lead a large state wide group of attorneys (Leadership in many different forms include but not limited to putting people on the right cases, staffing States attorneys, gathering ample public and private input from the every day voter, legislators that represent the voters, Fire&Rescue Personnel, Law Enforcement i mean the list goes on.
    3. Today’s time revolves around Social Media and is widely used positively and negatively in Law. Fitzgerald is by far the LEAST technologically savvy when it comes to this.
    _______________________________________________________________
    And someone go check to see if Fitz has a temperature or the flu.
    1. Who accepts the endorsement of an opposing parties states attorney BEFORE THEY ARE EVEN THEIR OWN PARTIES NOMINATION.
    2. Pride&Respect&Support ***Fitz the best move you now have since your self sabotaging your campaign would be to respectfully bow out of the Race and refocus on your current position. Something like this can greatly gut your public respect, trust, and sense of self pride.
    _______________________________________________________________

  12. In 2008, the New York Times endorsed McCain for the GOP nomination, and Hillary for the Democrat nomination. When McCain won the nomination and was the Republican Presidential candidate, but Hillary lost and was not the Democratic candidate, one would have thought the NYT would support McCain, right? After all, they endorsed him to be the Republican nominee. Well, no. They instead endorsed Obama.

    Democrats always want the weakest Republican to be the candidate they run against in the General election, and will always support the Democrat no matter what they say before.

  13. Tom Wollmann. Attn: Tom Wollmann. You’re needed at the Republican convention.

    I’m for Wollmann.

    Fitz continues to make poor campaign decisions. Ravnsborg wants the job really bad and I give him credit for working hard — but wanting it and having the experience as a prosecutor are two different things. Has he ever answered whether he’s argued at the SD Supreme Court? Has he prosecuted a major felony (murder)? How about any capital cases? I think I know the answer …

    I personally like Lance but he’s sort of associated himself too closely with Stace Nelson fringe of the party — which concerns me.

    1. Clearly you do not have any idea how a convention works.

      I don’t know ANYONE supporting Fitzgerald….this is just a desperate attempt by the States Attorneys Association to hold on to power..with another career politician…..funny how the powers that be in the association knifed Fitz in the back last year and now he is the man. Talk about lack of character.

    2. Are you kidding me anono?? It has already been proven he has experience as a prosecutor and a ton in law. Add in his military leadership and management skills and you have the total package. Please don’t waste our time with you bring up Tommy. Ravnsborg has the total skill set to run the AG office, let alone he brings a fresh look and set of ideas that is needed.

      1. What does ‘a ton in law’ mean? Simple questions really… has he prosecuted a major felony ever? Or even defended a major felony? Any work on capital cases? Any federal appeals? Any Supreme Court work? A law license and wanting to be AG real bad doesn’t make one qualified for the job.

        Barnett was a long-time prosecutor. Long was a long-time prosecutor and Chief Deputy. Jackley was US Attorney and prominent in private practice. Your definition of experience must be quite different than mine.

        1. Ok, now I’m just really curious. We all know Jackley just argued in front of the US Supreme Court, and I am also sure that Janklow and Meierhenry both argued in front of the US Supreme Court when they were Attorney General…did Long or Barnett? And does the AG take the arguments to the SD Supreme Court or is that left to the Chief Deputy? Like I said, I am just curious since this is a yardstick that is being used to measure candidates and I’d like to see how they all stack up.

          1. Barnett, Long, Jackley, Janklow, Meierhenry all argued cases in the SD Supreme Court. Barnett, Janklow, Meierhenry all argued US Supreme Court. Long didn’t argue but was Barnett’s Chief for his two US Supreme cases. Most if not all of these AG’s also had prosecutorial experience before they became AG — either State’s Attorney, deputy AG, or US Attorney. All had experience working in the Federal court system in one capacity or another.

            1. Ok, and then they all had this federal supreme court experience before they became AG or after being in office as AG (again, I know the answer for Jackley on this). I understand that they all had prosecutorial experience before becoming AG, I’m just curious as to how active vs administrative their positions were prior to being AG because it appears to me that with the exception of the US Supreme Court case and some closing arguments this is a largely administrative position that entails the logistics and orchestration of a sizeable staff to best serve the public, yet all the talk backers make it sound as if the AG has to be the second coming of Perry Mason carrying the entire caseload all by themselves with no assistance from the myriad of deputies whatsoever. So did all these past AG’s have all this experience prior to being in the office of AG? I know my local State’s Attorney has argued to the SD Supreme Court, but has not had a lot of jury trials, does that make him a poorer prosecutor? Again, what is the yardstick?

              1. According to State Law the duties of the AG are:

                1-11-1. General duties of attorney general. The duties of the attorney general shall be:
                (1) To appear for the state and prosecute and defend all actions and proceedings, civil or criminal, in the Supreme Court, in which the state shall be interested as a party;
                (2) When requested by the Governor or either branch of the Legislature, or whenever in his judgment the welfare of the state demands, to appear for the state and prosecute or defend, in any court or before any officer, any cause or matter, civil or criminal, in which the state may be a party or interested;
                (3) To attend to all civil cases remanded by the Supreme Court to the circuit court, in which the state shall be a party or interested;
                (4) To prosecute, at the request of the Governor, state auditor, or state treasurer, any official bond or contract in which the state is interested, upon a breach thereof, and to prosecute or defend for the state all actions, civil or criminal, relating to any matter connected with either of their departments;
                (5) To consult with, advise, and exercise supervision over the several state’s attorneys of the state in matters pertaining to the duties of their office, and he shall be authorized and it is made his duty, whenever in his judgment any opinion written by him will be of general interest and value, to mail either written or printed copies of such opinion to the auditor-general and to every state’s attorney and county auditor in the state;
                (6) When requested, to give his opinion in writing, without fee, upon all questions of law submitted to him by the Legislature or either branch thereof, or by the Governor, auditor, or treasurer;
                (7) When requested by the state auditor, treasurer, or commissioner of school and public lands, to prepare proper drafts for contracts, forms, and other writings, which may be wanted for use of the state;
                (8) To report to the Legislature, or either branch thereof, whenever requested, upon any business relating to the duties of his office;
                (9) To prosecute state officers who neglect or refuse to comply with the provisions of statutes of this state prohibiting officers of the state from accepting any money, fee, or perquisite other than salary for performance of duties connected with his office or paid because of holding such office and the statute requiring issue and delivery and filing of prenumbered duplicate receipts and accounting for money received for the state;
                (10) To pay into the state treasury all moneys received by him, belonging to the state, immediately upon the receipt thereof;
                (11) To attend to and perform any other duties which may from time to time be required by law

                These are the duties of the Attorney General. The Attorney General is the State’s Lawyer. Duties (1) through (4) deal specifically with prosecuting and defending and attending to cases, (5) is the duty to supervise States’ Attorneys, (6) is the duty to give opinions to the legislature, (7) Drafting (8) Reporting (9) Prosecuting State officials (10) Pay Money (11) other business.

                The State Attorney General does not need to be a super lawyer. Any mediocre lawyer can be Attorney General. Common sense would dictate though, that a mediocre lawyer would make a mediocre Attorney General.

                What happens when someone who’s never been a State’s Attorney, attempts to give advice to other State’s Attorneys? Do as I say and not as I’ve done as a volunteer.

                Or what happens when someone who’s only done 3 jury trials has to prosecute Gear Up? – talk to them about ballot issues and office management?

                The yard stick is how competent you want your attorney general to be. Do you want to hire an attorney you’d like to have coffee with or one that’s good-at-their-job.

                1. One would argue that prosecution is but a part of the AG job. One needs to know how to manage, lead, and delegate. I don’t see Fitzgerald or Russell having experience in that at all. Make me nervous as I have seen people struggle in positions with poor leadership skill.

                2. Okay, good information, thank you. Now my next question, if we use the yardstick of US Supreme Court and SD Supreme Court and prosecution and management and giving advice, where in this spectrum do all three of the candidates, Fitzgerald, Ravnsborg and Russell fall on the spectrum? Have all three argued in the SD Supreme Court? Been in federal appeals court? Federal court? US Supreme Court? Prosecuted? Managed a large office (and use a number equivalent to at least 1/2 the staff of the current AG’s office to define “large”)? And to play Devil’s Advocate, defended (because it has to pay to know how your opponent thinks)? I think that checking all these boxes in a side-by-side comparison has to be a good thing for deciding…

  15. Does Russell have any endorsements?

    I have seen Ravnsborg has the majority of Sheriffs, some legislators and states attorneys.

    I have seen Fitz have some states attorneys.

    Nothing from Russell…or did i miss something?

    1. He has the endorsement of the biggest conservative in the legislature, Senator Stace Nelson.

      2. You mean the ONLY conservative in the legislature. Founder of the Nelsonian Party of South Dakota

        1. No I am not a hater, Travis Fullerton started it with 3rd place Stace. I am just setting the record straight. Jason knows the truth. I have questioned him.

          1. Accept Ravnsborg is not in 3rd place, all indications are he is in 1st place right now.

            1. That’s not what I’ve heard. But then again, you can’t believe everything you hear.

  18. Fitzgerald–what on earth are you thinking…do you have no political awareness at all???…so you want the support of a prosecutor who constantly complains he doesn’t have enough staff and pushed for SB70? Plus he let SenNesiba go without even a slap on the wrist…McGowan is part of the problem, not part of the solution.

    I was leaning Ravnsborg already this sealed it for me.

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