Permit me to cast cynicism aside and cheer a political move by Team Daugaard. Governor Dennis Daugaard gets to fill his first Legislative vacancy this year, as Republican Cooper Garnos is stepping down from his District 21 Senate seat to become principal in the Lyman School District. The state constitution empowers the governor to fill legislative vacancies. Rather than picking by fiat, the governor says he wants our help. He's taking nominations!
The press release doesn't specify that Governor Daugaard will only consider Republicans. Democrats in District 21 outnumber Republicans 50% to 40% by registered voter count. And with safe supermajorities in both houses of the Legislature, appointing a Democrat to represent a primarily Democratic district probably would bring the Governor nothing but good press (Bipartisanship Blossoms; Daugaard Digs Dems!).
Then again, District 21 wasn't terribly eager to elect Dems themselves last year. Senator Garnos beat his Democratic challenger Brandon Sazue 71.6% to 28.4%. District 21 voters also elected two Republicans to the House. A Democrat hasn't won a Legislative seat in District 21 counties since 2004, before the courts redrew the districts in that neighborhood to create the split District 26 to the south.
Republican, Democrat, or Independent, if you know a budding politico in Brule, Buffalo, Charles Mix, Jones, or Lyman County, call the governor's policy analyst Will Mortenson at 605-773-5999 and give him your pitch for your preferred replacement for Senator Garnos. And thank the Governor for asking for your input!
let's tell daugaard we want him to choose a lesbian native-american woman, just to watch his face turn white.
Hang on, Curtis: I'm not convinced that would faze Daugaard. She'd probably need to have an R behind her name, but I haven't seen evidence that he discriminates much on those other categories (well, aside from that darned unconstitutional abortion law he signed).
i was just intending to shoot a flaming arrow into fort pierre, with the point being, i've no doubt dogood will choose best for the state in general, republican power specifically. and by the way, wouldn't it be cool (mind-blowing) if south dakota had a lesbian native-american republican legislator appointed?
Would it really matter if the person that the Governor chooses is a man, or a woman, gay, lesbian, straight or somewhere in between or white person, native-American or even a Klingon? (wouldn't that be interesting) The way I see it The Governor might have a tough decision. Pick from a bunch of quailifed people who really don't want the job, or from a few who want it but are not quailified.