Check out the website: https://lenspoliticalnotes.com Look at the recent Political Notes and Len’s Letters on the website.
Governor: Political Note #421 Chris Jones Arkansas, Political Note #402 Katie Hobbs Arizona, Political Note #432 Stacey Abrams Georgia (47 Abrams – 49 Kemp) Political Note #358 Laura Kelly Kansas, Political Note #407 Janet Mills Maine, Political Note #381 Gretchen Whitmer Michigan (46 Whitmer – 41 Craig), Political Note # 414 Steve Sisolak Nevada (52 Sisolak – 48 Lombardo), Political Note #449 Joy Hofmeister Oklahoma, Political Note #426 Josh Shapiro Pennsylvania, Political Note #431, Jamie Smith Political Note #450 Jamie Smith South Dakota, Beto O’Rourke Texas (43 O’Rourke – Abbott 48) Political Note #366 Tony Evers Wisconsin
030522 Political Note #450 Jamie Smith Governor South Dakota
2022 General Election
One thing you can say about Jamie Smith https://www.smithforgov.org . He is not Barry Hulce, who is also running for South Dakota’s Democratic nomination for Governor.
The blog SoDak Governors said about Hulce: “So far, neither Hulse’s Facebook page, nor any of the media coverage, provide much information about him. As an unknown quantity, it’s not possible to judge Hulse as a candidate, although his lack of a statewide profile or political experience indicate he will face a steep uphill battle in a strongly Republican state.”
Cory Alan Heidelberger assessed Hulce’s post-announcement interview in the Dakota Free Press: “The greater problem with Hulse’s opening statement is not its leisurely pace. In 83 seconds, Hulse somehow failed to say any specific thing to distinguish himself from any other candidate who might run for Governor against the incumbent this year. He spoke of a “different path… different venues… different subjects” but didn’t tell us what needs to be different or how he differs from any other Democrat, independent, or the Republican he seeks to replace.”
Heidelberger had some reach in what he had to say about politics and Hulce: As Congressman Barney Frank said in 2001 when Tom Daschle became Senate Majority Leader, “ ‘This isn’t some high school dance.’ Running for Governor is a real fight against real corruption, real incompetence, and real bad policy that is hurting South Dakotans and hamstringing South Dakota’s economy. Instead of invoking Tom Daschle to speak pleasantries about dancing, invoke the policies Tom Daschle stood for and the work he and other Democrats have done to solve problems for South Dakotans. Then pivot quickly to specific things you plan to do to carry on that tradition of Democratic problem-solving. Voters need to hear current critiques of current problems, like low wages, affordable housing and child care and healthcare, school funding, taxes and wealth distribution, environmental protection, economic development, and protection of democracy, that we need to fix by electing a new Governor.”
Heidelberger linked corruption to a story about Republican Governor Kristi Noem’s daughter getting special treatment and additional opportunities to become a real estate appraiser. He linked incompetence to Governor Kristi Noem’s failure to listen to constituents in her plan to plow up a scenic canyon to install RV campsites. Her proposal will apparently not get out of the legislature’s committee. He linked the Governor’s bad policy to a story about Noem having overturned a referendum supporting the legalization of marijuana on what the newspaper called a technicality. The organization favoring legalization is suing. Noem wants to make the organization filing a law suit pay the private attorneys she hired to oppose them. Heidelberger’s link to hurting South Dakotans describes Noem’s chief of staff advocating laws to prevent transgendered kids from competing in sports and likening the prohibition to stopping terrorists. Heidelberger’s link to hamstringing the economy includes what he calls the Noem’s government’s anti-social behavior, its rejection of new ideas, its inbred and nepotistic hiring and firing, its refusal to take public health seriously, and its low wages.
Jamie Smith is a much better candidate for the Democratic nomination than Barry Hulce. Even so, Wikipedia doesn’t say much about Jamie Smith
. “[He] …. serves as a member of the South Dakota House of Representatives. Smith represents District 15, which covers downtown neighborhoods, including areas around Terrace Park and the Great Plains Zoo in Sioux Falls…. . Smith has served as House Minority Leader since the 2019 session of the Legislature. [He] is a real estate agent with Hegg Realtors, a former educator, and a member of the Democratic Party. He lives in Sioux Falls.”
Kristi Noem’s campaign manager greeted Jamie Smith’s announcement saying “Jamie’s voting record and values don’t align with the people of South Dakota”. He claimed that Jamie Smith opposed restrictions on access to abortions, supported government efforts to block the Covid pandemic such as mask and vaccination mandates, and would get in between South Dakotans and their guns. Jamie Smith’s response was to laugh.
A former Spanish teacher and wrestling coach, the real estate firm he works for describes Jamie Smith as someone who loves to help people – active in the Lutheran Church and the local Arts Council. They also say he has a great singing voice. Neither his good humor nor his singing voice will help if he can’t get his message out. He does have a message. He would govern without creating the divisiveness that has characterized the Noem administration’s focus on national Republican politics and her national ambitions to run for President or Vice President. As Governor, he would focus on improving education in the state, increase resources for mental health, and reduce incarceration rates. To some extent, he is arguing improving aspects of South Dakota that are already OK. South Dakota schools are rated as above average as are the state’s mental health services. On the other hand, it puts people in jail more often than the average state.
Jamie Smith will never have the kind of campaign money that Kristi Noem has. She’s got more than $11 million and is still fund raising. South Dakota is not that big. With a population of 880 thousand people, she’s got $12 to spend for every person in the state; double that for every voter. One of my readers responded to my describing the amount of money a candidate had raised by saying that money isn’t everything. True enough. Jamie Smith https://www.smithforgov.org won’t need a lot of money to compete in a state with fewer than a million people. He’ll need some, though. Donate to him. Derail Kristi Noem’s national ambitions and help South Dakotans get a government that cares about South Dakotans.
Incumbents to defend for Governor, Attorney General, and Secretary of State
Arizona SofS Reginald Bolding (Open Democratic Seat) https://reginaldbolding.com
Kansas Gov Laura Kelly (Toss up) https://www.laurakellyforkansas.com
Maine Gov Janet Mills (Likely D) https://www.janetmills.com/
Michigan Gov Gretchen Whitmer (Lean D) https://www.gretchenwhitmer.com
Michigan AG Dana Nessel https://www.dananessel.com
Michigan SofS Jocelyn Benson https://votebenson.com
Minnesota Gov Tim Walz (Likely D) https://walzflanagan.org
Minnesota AG Keith Ellison https://keithellison.org
Minnesota SofS Steve Simon https://stevesimonmn.com
Nevada Gov Steve Sisolak (Likely D) https://stevesisolak.com
Nevada AG Aaron Ford https://www.fordfornevada.com
Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro https://joshshapiro.org (Open Democratic seat)
Wisconsin Gov Tony Evers (Lean D) https://tonyevers.com
Wisconsin AG Josh Kaul https://www.joshkaul.org
Wisconsin SofS Doug LaFollette https://www.facebook.com/sosdoug
Democrats who can flip Republican Governors or other state officers
Arizona Gov Secretary of State Katie Hobbs https://www.katiehobbs.org (Toss up)
Arkansas Gov African American Nuclear Engineer Chris Jones https://chrisforgovernor.com (Safe R says Cook)
Georgia Gov Ex State House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams (Lean R) https://staceyabrams.com
Georgia SofS State Rep Bee Nguyen https://www.beeforgeorgia.com
Georgia AG Jen Jordan https://jen4georgia.com
Kansas AG Chris Mann https://www.chrismannforkansas.com
Maryland AG. Congressman Anthony Brown. https://www.anthonybrown.com (Open Dem Seat)
Nevada SofS Cisco Aguilar http://www.cisconv.co
Oklahoma Gov Joy Hofmeister https://joyforok.com
South Dakota Gov Jamie Smith https://www.smithforgov.org
Texas Ex Congressman Beto O’Rourke https://betoorourke.com
In some states, we don’t know who the Democratic nominee will be
Florida Gov Ex Gov and Rep Charlie Crist, Ag Commissioner Nikki Fried, and State Sen Annette Taddeo are the principal competitors for the Democratic nomination (Lean R)
Ohio Gov Mayors John Cranley and Nan Whaley have announced for this seat where the Republican governor is facing a primary challenge (Likely R)
Maryland Gov I count eight candidates so far for this formerly Republican open seat (Lean D)
Organizations to support
The Democratic National Committee (DNC). https://democrats.org
The Democratic Senate Campaign Committee (DSCC) https://www.dscc.org
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) https://dccc.org
The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) https://democraticgovernors.org
The Democratic Attorneys General Association (DAGA) https://dems.ag
The Democratic Association of Secretaries of State (DASS) https://demsofstate.org
The Democratic (State) Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC) https://dlcc.org
Fair Fight https://fairfight.com Stacey Abrams organization to support fair elections
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Support Democrats. Sadly, Republicans have become enemies of democracy. Even in Minnesota Republicans have demonstrated this condition.
