South Dakota major political parties spar over nominees, platform

FORT PIERRE, S.D. - South Dakota GOP Chair Dan Lederman took to Twitter this weekend to poke fun at Democratic nominees for statewide offices.

“They have basically pulled up some of these failed candidates, some of these guys have lost six times in different races,” Lederman said. “It is pretty embarrassing when they put up candidates that have lost even their primaries in Democratic races.”

In the tweet from the official state GOP account, Lederman said in part that the Democratic nominees were “no-name and failed candidates of past elections, that piled out of the clown car.”

South Dakota Dems just announced their slate of no-name and failed candidates of past elections that piled out of the liberal clown car today. They will provide little challenge to the experience and credibility of the Republican nominees. Good luck @SoDakDems #RedWave2022
— South Dakota GOP (@sdgop) July 9, 2022

However, not everyone thought the tweet was appropriate. It was criticized by many people, include Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jamie Smith.

This is the kind of classless and mean-spirited politics that South Dakotans are so tired of.

It’s time to get back to treating each other with respect and delivering real solutions for South Dakotans. Our state deserves better. If you’re tired of this, please join my campaign. https://t.co/wkqkiVFaGz
— Jamie Smith for SD Governor (@RepJamieSmith) July 10, 2022

“I agree with Jamie Smith, our gubernatorial candidate, that it was a classless comment by Dan Lederman,” said Randy Seiler, chair of the South Dakota Democratic Party. “I do not believe it reflects the viewpoint of a majority of Republicans in the state of South Dakota.”

For their part, Republicans like Lederman have pointed to a number of controversial platform planks and resolutions passed by the Democrats this past weekend.

Chief among them, one supporting end of life decisions, or a “right to die,” and another regarding the right to an abortion, where the word “women” was replaced with more gender neutral language.

“They just don’t speak to South Dakota values,” Lederman said. “South Dakota voters stand for life, lower taxes, keeping the federal government out of our lives, and they just seem to fly in the face of that, particularly in several of the points they put forward this weekend.”

“Instead of engaging in politics by personal attack, we would ask the citizens of South Dakota to joins us as Democrats and engage with us in finding solutions that are bipartisan and working for the betterment of the people of South Dakota.”

Both party chairs say that they believe ultimately, voters will agree with their point of view on November 8th.

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