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Legislative battles set for June primaries
By Bill Harlan, Journal Staff Writer

South Dakota Republicans still hold an advantage in the coming battle for the state Legislature, but Democrats are fielding more candidates than they have since 1992 — and that includes more candidates in districts in and around the Black Hills.

“I’m really exuberant,” state Democratic Party chairwoman Judy Olson Duhamel of Rapid City said Tuesday.

Democrats likely will contest more than 90 seats, compared to only 68 seats in 2002 and 71 in 2004.

Republicans, however, will field candidates in all 105 legislative races. “We’re very happy,” state Republican Party political director Amanda Dodson of Pierre said.

The filing deadline was 5 p.m. Tuesday, and 103 Republicans had turned in petitions. Two more were in the mail, Dodson said. (Petitions from Democrats also are in the mail.)

All South Dakota legislators serve two-year terms. There are 70 seats in the House and 35 in the Senate. Primaries will be held Tuesday, June 6, for districts in which parties field more than one candidate for the Senate or more than two for the House. The winners meet in November.

Republicans currently dominate the Legislature — 25-10 in the Senate and 51-19 in the House.

Republicans this year likely will campaign on the accomplishments of the Legislature and Republican Gov. Mike Rounds, who is seeking a second term.

“The governor and our Republican majorities in the Legislature were able to get a lot done for the citizens of South Dakota over the last three months,” South Dakota Republican Party chairman Randy Frederick said on the state party’s Web site. “There is more money for education, criminals in the state will have a harder time taking advantage of honest, hardworking citizens and most importantly, our taxes won’t be going up.”

Democrats will say it is time for a change.

“Overall, there’s a general sense that this abusive, one-party rule in Pierre is not serving the interests of the people,” Olson Duhamel said. “Instead of focusing on common-sense challenges, they concentrated their energy on sex legislation and fringe issues.”

The biggest “sex” issue is HB1215, South Dakota’s ban on most abortions, which almost certainly will be challenged in court and in a referendum in November. That could affect legislative races, too, including two key Republican primary races for Senate in Rapid City.

State Sen. Stan Adelstein, an outspoken opponent of HB1215, will face state Republican Party vice-chairwoman Ellie Schwiesow, who is equally outspoken in her support of the ban. Adelstein, a longtime Rapid City businessman, will have the money to run a sophisticated campaign, but he narrowly beat Schwiesow in 2004. And this year, the Adelstein-Schwiesow race could attract national attention.

The winner of that District 32 primary will face Democrat Tom Katus and Constitutional Party candidate Daniel Lautenschlager in November.

The District 32 House race has no primaries, but it has a full slate of candidates. Republican Rep. Alan Hanks and Republican Brian Dreyer will face Democrats Suzan Nolan and Pamela Hemmingsen.

The other local primary race that could be affected by HB1215 is in District 35, which includes parts of Rapid City and Rapid Valley.

Republican Rep. Alice McCoy, who can’t run again for the House because of term limits, is challenging Republican Sen. Bill Napoli. Both are supporters of HB1215, but Napoli gained national notoriety for his tough talk about the bill on “NewsHour.”

Democrats also will have a Senate primary in District 35. Leah Lutheran currently serves on the Rapid City School Board, and Theresa Spry has run three times, unsuccessfully, for the state House.

Four Republicans are vying for two nominations for the House in District 35. They are Dale Gunderson, incumbent Jeff Haverly, Lyle Hendrickson and Pennington County Commissioner Mark Kirkeby. The winners will face two Democrats in November, Laurie Woudtke and Susan Kelts.

District 33, which snakes around Rapid City from Rimrock Highway on the west, through Black Hawk to Box Elder, also has Democratic challengers.

Republican Sen. J.P. Duniphan, who voted against HB1215, faces a primary challenge from Dennis Schmidt. The winner will face Democrat Dennis Finch, an attorney who served in the administration of Democratic Gov. Richard Kneip in the 1970s.

On the House side, Democrats Gary Loudner of Black Hawk and Jeff Nelson of Rapid City face Republican incumbents Michael Buckingham and Don Van Etten, both of Rapid City.

In sprawling District 30, which runs from Fall River County to eastern Pennington County, Democrat Catherine Ratliffe of Hot Springs will challenge Sen. Jim Lintz, R-Hermosa.

District 30 Republican Reps. Gordon Howie of Rapid City and Gordon Pederson of Wall will run against the two winners from a three-way Democratic primary among Jerry Bloomer of Hot Springs, Franz Brown of Hot Springs and Rick Hanson of Custer.

Elsewhere in the Black Hills area, Democrats will have fewer candidates or none at all.

In the House race in District 34, in Rapid City, Democrat Courtney Clayborne runs alone against Republican incumbent Ed McLaughlin and Republican David Lust. Republican Sen. Royal “Mac” McCracken is unopposed.

Sen. Kenneth McNenny, R-Sturgis, also is unopposed in District 29 (Meade County), which has a four-way Republican primary for the House among incumbent Larry Rhoden of Union Center, incumbent Thomas Brunner of Nisland, former state lawmaker Maurice LaRue of Sturgis and Ray Hunter of Sturgis. The two winners will serve in Pierre because no Democrats are running.

In District 31, which is Lawrence County, House candidate Dinah Paris of Lead is the lone Democrat. Libertarian Andre Ager of Spearfish also is running for House. On the Republican side will be two incumbents: Tom Hills of Spearfish and Charles Turbiville of Deadwood. Sen. Jerry Apa, R-Lead, will face independent Karen Ballert of Lead in November.

Republican incumbents aren’t the only ones facing post-HB1215 challenges. Sen. Julie Bartling, D-Burke, the Senate sponsor of the abortion ban, faces two Democrats in the primary: John Simpson of Hamill and Sherman Wright of Mission.

Olson Duhamel said the state party did not recruit Bartling’s opponents, though she added, “We’re delighted there’s an interest, and we’re delighted people want to run.”

Olson Duhamel agreed that HB1215 “was a factor” in her party’s success in recruiting candidates this year, but she also credited getting three extra staff positions for the state party, paid for by the Democratic National Committee. “I want to thank Howard Dean,” she said.