Johns and Teupel Fighting for Second Seat?
The latest Madville Times poll results are in! I asked you, dear readers, Who are the best candidates for District 31 House? Voters could pick two, just as they will be able to pick two on Primary Day, June 5. The results:
- Fred W. Romkema (56%, 20 Votes)
- Timothy R. Johns (39%, 14 Votes)
- John E. Teupel (33%, 12 Votes)
- Gary L. Coe (28%, 10 Votes)
Total Voters: 36
Conclusion #1 from this poll: I clearly haven't worked hard enough this school year to capture the Spearfish media market. ;-)
Conclusion #2: While a mere 36 respondents produce a margin of error significantly larger than Steve Rosenberger's mustache, those of you following the District 31 House campaign here are handicapping the race about the way I am. Romkema is the incumbent and will enjoy the best name recognition. Johns and Teupel will be in a tight battle for the second slot: Teupel has the same amount of legislative experience as Romkema, but that was four years ago, and Johns has a longer public career as county and city attorney and circuit court judge. The folks whom Johns put behind bars will probably flock to Coe, who has his own complaints about courts and the state telling him how to conduct his business.
From what I saw at the GOP candidates' forum last Monday, April 30, I agree with these results as both prediction and personal preference. Romkema showed some good sense and spine this legislative session and voted against House Bill 1234, even as the Governor twisted arms and wheeled and dealed for votes to save his unpopular education reform package. As my friend Mr. Fleming noted, Johns stressed education as the most important issue facing the state. He still talks the conservative game of educating kids on a tight budget (his story was about how back in his day, all they needed to learn was books). They aren't Democrats (none are on the District 31 ballot), but Romkema and Johns are at least pointing in the right direction on education.
Teupel is too focused on "bidness" (and sounds silly when he says "bidness" repeatedly). He declares economic development to be the biggest issue facing South Dakota, which suggests his head is too wrapped around the anything-but "outside the box" rhetoric of his MBA classes and not enough about the proper role of the government in which he wants to serve. If his predictions on the Bakken oil boom come true, the Legislature won't need to spend time making economic development happen; it will need to exert itself to provide the public services and regulation that keep economic development from hurting our communities.
Coe is simply another Gordon Howie poseur. I've heard one local Republican describe Coe's platform as "The Tea Party is too liberal!" Coe wasn't completely off-topic, but his speeches drifted just enough from real policy details into Tea Party code words of God and socialism to warn me away.
The four candidates have four weeks left to make their case. Let's watch closely and see if they can change their fortunes by June!