Jonathan Ellis is writing at Argusleader.com this weekend that at least two of the candidates being mentioned for the contest are actively out fundraising.
So it’s no wonder that the friends of Marty and the friends of Mark have launched political action committees more than two years before the election. The friends of Mark held a fundraiser in Sioux Falls on Thursday, the second in the last couple of weeks with another planned in Brookings. The friends of Marty are holding a fundraiser next month.
And while a Sioux Falls fundraiser for Marty had to be postponed because of a scheduling conflict, a Rapid City fundraiser is still scheduled, and shows an interesting array of hosts:
You have hosts as varied as from Bill Napoli and Lyndell Petersen to Bruce Rampelberg and David Lust.
What do you think? I see a fairly broad cross-section of Republicans.
(Anyone have a Mickelson invite? I’d love to see that one too!)
Marty Jackley is scum
Chad, Maybe he’ll include you on the Sioux Falls invite if you say “pretty please?”
I don’t consider him to be scum but it seems he likes to pimp himself. Was the press conference in Platte really necessary? A detailed press release would suffice. Yes, the Platte incident was tragic but should not have been used for political gain.
By coincidence, I sat a few seats away from him at a Summit League basketball game last March. He was flanked by two friends or cronies. Whichever. Lots of talk about the governor’s race, making fun of others in attendance, marty talking loudly on cell phone to wife and kids because kids were fighting. More making fun of people and I heard one of the cronies say he wanted to punch a guy in the face for cheering and being obnoxious. It was quite the spectacle.
I’m guessing it was important to the people of Platte.
If you’re guessing, does that mean you’re right?
The inclusion of Napoli is enough to discourage many republicans from attending. He has done more damage to the party than anyone on that list.
Noem vs Jackley, Noem by significanct margin; Noem vs Mikelson, margin of error; Mickelson vs Jackley, Mickelson by significant margin; Mickelson vs Jackley vs Noem, Noem with plurality 36% plus. Now somebody tell me how I am wrong.
I think Marty is a much stronger candidate than he is getting credit for being. He’s been AG for a long time and while I will agree that he might not have assembled the strongest group of political minds around him at this stage he has done great work as attorney general.
Time will tell when we start seeing who he hires to run his organization. Right now I couldn’t tell you who is advising him and I couldn’t tell you who is advising Mickelson either. Noem I assume has her top staff advising her and a few other people who are involved in politics from around the state.
I see Marty and Mark both being good candidates and if it comes down to a head to head race then I think Jackley has the advantage. Mickelson will be the ideas guy, Jackley will be a cautious governor who will continue in the vain of Daugaard and Rounds and be a steady hand at the wheel (and more conservative than Mickelson.) Mark and Marty will have to pop the Kristi balloon if she gets in to the race. I think they have to make it clear that it won’t be an easy primary for her if she runs and that might deter her. She can stay in congress for as long as she wants without a tough race in a general and she would really have to screw up to face a tough challenge in the primary. Besides maybe she wants to run for senate in 2020?
But we should also not rule out a 3rd or 4th option from the governors race if Kristi passes. Why don’t we talk about Matt Michels?
She is smart enough to know that having a work schedule of 110 days and being able to blame others when no real changes happen is a good thing.
There will also be a conservative in the race.
Here is the thing. Marty is a conservative. Mark is a moderate. Kristi is somewhere in between the two.
Marty has made himself unacceptable to the conservatives. There will be a conservative candidate, too.
Legitimate question—Is that you Stace? or Gordon? who are some names of people that seriously might run besides, Kristi, Marty and Mark? Matt Michaels we have heard here also….
If you throw out a hint, give us some ideas…
It does not matter at this point, but there will be a conservative.
“Conservative” is code for “unelectable crackpot” like Gordon Howie or Lora Hubbel. Because no matter how conservative the front runner GOP candidate is, they will never be good enough.
Good for Marty. Mark is a hard worker too. It’s nice to see that they are working hard for the job.
Ellis’ column is pretty weak and speculative. Really weak.
Bob Mercer should write a few columns he at least knows what is going on in state politics.
What was weak about it?
On topic, please.
Jackley has been involved in too many debacles lately. He has probably lost any hope of being Governor.
He is the sitting AG, isn’t he supposed to be investigating legal matters?
A Jackley-Gant ticket would be appropriate … a referendum on South Dakota corruption and incompetence.
Lets face it, the Mickelson name is a trusted “brand” in South Dakota and Mark has done nothing to tarnish it. His name id will only get stronger as his climb to Speaker continues. He has remarkable support in the business community across the state for the sound reason he is a candidate that will focus on industrial development and has a proven background in finance .
Always interesting to see who is supporting who and willing to say so publicly.
Anonymous 9:33:
Regarding your comment about conservative is code for “unelectable” is a serious matter. Over the term of the Obama administration, self-identified conservatives grew from 35% to 38% of the electorate, record numbers of self-identified conservatives voted for McCain only to have the record beaten four years later by Romney. Of those conservatives, 33% self-identify as Republican, 2% as Democrat (I presume but don’t know they are likely mostly in the South), and 3% as Independent/Other.
Of those who self-identify as conservative, roughly 10% self-identify as “very conservative.” If the term “conservative” becomes associated with the views of the “very conservative,” to your point, if the term “conservative” becomes to be seen to mean the views of the “10%”, the numbers of people who self-identify as “conservative” will decline. And, if it extends to the Republican label, you will see the number of self-identified Republicans also decline.
There is a comment at the beginning of this thread that refers to Mark Mickelson as a moderate. In what universe? Only to those who claim a conservative must be in the 10% category of the political spectrum. I find it ludicrous that a person who advocates a significantly smaller federal government, a more efficient and stable level of state government (formed and run by 35 years of conservative Governors which places South Dakota in the top five states with the lowest taxation and size of government), pro-free enterprise and Pro-Life is called a “moderate.”
Notes:
1) These numbers I quoted vary 1-2% depending on what poll one references. I referenced Gallup and are sometimes dependent on the issue of the day as a certain people vacillate between moderate or conservative.
2) The number of people who self-identify as “liberal” is roughly 24% while 41% self-identify as Democrat. In other words, the Democrat Party is roughly 60% self identified liberal while the GOP is roughly 90% self-identified conservative.
3) I personally self-identify as “very conservative” on most social issues, taxes, and spending. However, what sets me apart from most of those who also so self-identify is I am willing to take incremental change in government in recognition many of my views aren’t in the majority and try to bring people into the fold on particular issues vs. demanding “all or nothing” or driving wedges on particular issues.
On November 8, 2015 at 9:11 am
Anonymous wrote:
“Here is the thing. Marty is a conservative …”
Appointed by “W”, upon the recommendation of John Thune.
Appointed by Mike Rounds.
This is a political pedigree which begs for the term ‘crony’ rather than conservative.