If you start digging into the “Haugaard for Governor campaign website” for his gubernatorial effort launched today, you quickly come to a couple of conclusions.

#1.. They could have proofed the website more closely..

People are my priority? People are the priority?

“…outside special interest groups the interests of South Dakotans.”   I think someone slopped through this.

#2.. and the bigger point, the campaign theme of “South Dakota First” is focused against business and education.

And I’m not being glib here. Someone thought that campaigning against business and education was the way to go, and based an entire political campaign around it. If you look at his South Dakota First Page, in part, it’s literally a manifesto against business and education:

As South Dakotans, we cherish our communities, family farms, ranches, and small businesses.

But our rights, liberties, and freedoms are currently under assault by the extreme progressive left. 

The axis of Big Tech, Big Business, Big Education, and Hollywood have changed our culture dramatically just in the past decade.

Today, large multinational corporations are dictating how we should live, how our children are raised, and what values our children should be taught.

Parental rights are being swept aside in favor of what Big Business, Big Tech, left-wing academics and university administrators, and Hollywood want. And our leaders just go along with it.

Read that here.

And it’s not just there. It’s in the metatag for the web page:

<meta name=”description” content=”The axis of Big Tech, Big Business, Big ED, and Hollywood have changed our culture dramatically just in the past decade. South Dakota FIRST!” />

How big does a business have to be to earn his ire?  What is he going to do about “big business?” Regulate them more?

And what does he mean by “Big ED,” or “Big Education?” Are Division I schools bad, but Mount Marty is ok? And what about Northern? They’re not D1, but they just built a new stadium – are they somewhere in the middle? Are his family members prohibited from seeking higher education at this point?

The focus of the Haugaard campaign being against business and education might be one of the looniest things I’ve heard in a long time, especially so for a campaign theme.

If Haugaard is against business and education, what exactly is he for? Because that doesn’t leave a lot of options.

With the opposite of business being socialism and the opposite of education being ignorance, I can guarantee you that’s nothing any Republican I know would want to support.

Dakota News Now livestreamed the Haugaard Press conference where the former Speaker of the House made his announcement for Governor.

And I hate to say it, but if you were looking for a speech that provided inspiration or aspiration, this wasn’t it.

I’m sure there are a few of the hardcore right who will cheer Haugaard on, but that’s only a small portion of the Republican electorate at large.  When the speech to launch his campaign goes on about “Big Education” and “Hollywood,” “not answer to the boardroom,” etcetera, we’ve heard it all before. The original parts were mainly about him being upset there was no special session on COVID and wants government to stand against vaccinations.. and well, that was nothing new either.

When someone is coming out of the gate and wants to replace the person there, we’re looking for “how are they different?”  and “here’s how I’m new.”

We didn’t get it.  Instead we got “I don’t think Kristi is being Kristi enough, so I’m going to promise to be more Kristi.”  That’s not really much of a message when you’re not Kristi.

I think what we have in Haugaard’s case is a failure to launch.

As opposed to the “ok, I’m going to show up at Republican events and say I’m running” that we got.

My post yesterday when I pointed out how Texan Dan Kreamer was upset that Congressman Dusty Johnson opposed the infrastructure bill (as he admitted he wanted) has upset this big donor for Taffy Howard even further.

Because now Dan has the “Primary Dusty Johnson” facebook group on high alert as he screams “infiltrator!”

Well, we now know he does reads the website.

Although, I think Kreamer skipped over the story where Dusty Johnson is the most popular political figure in the state.

Governor Kristi Noem’s daughter Kassidy Peters announced today that she was stepping back from her job as a real estate appraiser after months of hounding by the media as they tried to create a narrative of impropriety when Governor Noem made inquiry into her concerns over the Real Estate Appraiser program:

“I know as the Governor’s daughter, I am always going to be in the public eye. I can’t stop these attacks, but I can choose whether to keep being hurt by the fallout.”

Some might ask why resign? Isn’t that saying something was wrong?

No. Not at all.

Speaking from experience, I can tell you that you can do everything correctly and within the law, and it really doesn’t matter when people are determined to make you a chess piece to use in their agenda of attacking someone else.

Sometimes the best peace of mind you can give yourself is to remove yourself from the chess board, and refuse to play their game.

Spencer Wrightsman Announces Candidacy for South Dakota State Senate District 2

Spencer Wrightsman formally announced his candidacy for the vacant District 2 Senate Seat on Tuesday, November 16^th.

The people of District 2 will be electing new leadership to the State Legislature now that the redistricting process has finished.

“I’m excited to announce my candidacy for District 2 State Senate. As your Senator, I will represent you with integrity and uphold the values of fiscal conservativism and limited government.” Wrightsman said.

The new District 2 encompasses Eastern Sioux Falls, Brandon, Valley Springs and surrounding rural areas.

“I have lived in this District for most of my life and would be proud to represent you in the State Senate. I look forward to meeting with the voters of District 2 throughout the campaign and hope that I can earn your trust and your vote come election time.”

Spencer Wrightsman is a native of Brandon, SD. He currently serves as the Treasurer of the Minnehaha County Republicans and the National Committeeman for the South Dakota Young Republicans.

The Secretary of State has posted the Statement of Organization for the Haugaard for Governor Campaign this morning, after it was originally filed Nov. 12, 2021 at 12:52pm. And you can get a brief snapshot into the Haugaard organization with this document:

Statement of Org Steve Haugaard by Pat Powers on Scribd

The Campaign chair appears to be is Haugaard’s spouse, and friend Lanette Diede is acting as treasurer, with no identifiable South Dakota political personalities associated with the campaign as of yet.

From the Argus Leader, State Rep. and former Speaker Steve Haugaard is telling them that he’s going to make an official announcement for Governor tomorrow:

Haugaard, who was first elected in 2014, confirmed on Tuesday that he had filed paperwork to run for governor and will announce his candidacy on Wednesday. KSFY first reported Haugaard’s candidacy.

and..

Haugaard declined to discuss his campaign, but the lawmaker is known for being one of the House’s most ardent conservatives on both fiscal and social issues.

Read that all here.

With Noem having sky high numbers among Republicans, that doesn’t leave a lot of territory for Haugaard, especially considering his name ID outside of his home area may be in the single digits.

Again, I think it’s going to be going nowhere fast.

As you read here at SDWC a couple of weeks ago, I don’t see it on the Secretary of State’s website, but former Speaker of the House Steve Haugaard is telling Dakota News Now that turned in the paperwork to run for Governor:

Former South Dakota Speaker of the House and current State Representative Steve Haugaard (R-Sioux Falls) will run for South Dakota Governor in 2022.

Haugaard filed Friday to pursue the office, the same day that Governor Kristi Noem officially announced she would be running for re-election in 2022.

Read the story here.

Yeah.. I just don’t see a path forward for him running to the right of Governor Noem.

The Primary Dusty Johnson facebook group of goofiness is upset with Congressman Dusty Johnson again..  Probably just because hating Dusty is their entire raison d’être for existing.  This time, Dusty had the audacity to vote the way they wanted, so now the group feel the need to complain about him for that.

And even more laughably, the founder of the group, Texas resident Dan Kraemer, seems to think that Donald Trump is going to come in and not just endorse Taffy Howard, but put his cash behind her.

I’m just not holding my breath on that one.

The Brookings County GOP announced yesterday that “on Saturday, November 20, at 9:00 a.m. at the Outdoor Adventure Center, following a short business meeting Governor Kristi Noem will update us on issues and challenges facing South Dakota.”  

I’m sure that’s going to be a well attended meeting!