If opportunity was ever knocking on the Dems doors, it is 2018.
Let’s face the facts, Trump and his limp congress and senate will be burning bridges like no tomorrow come January 2018. But even if Trump is still popular, this is the first time in a long time that there will be so many open seats in a multitude of races.
Sioux Falls school board (empty seat, have until March 28, 2017 to get petitions) so far only one candidate has formerly announced, Cynthia Mickelson, wife of ‘Dark Money’ crusader Mark Mickelson. Democrats should be all over this easy race. They expect the voter turnout to be so low they are going to hand count the election. You could literally win this race by a couple of votes.
Sioux Falls city council, Four seats (two open seats, At-Large & Central. Two incumbents, At-Large, South East). Another shoe-in for Democrats, especially when it is a non-partisan race (Your party designation doesn’t appear on the ballot). The next city council is going to need some progressives to address many economic issues facing our city.
Sioux Falls mayor (open seat) I swear by the notion that the next Mayor is going to have to be the opposite of Huether. He was anything but a Democrat, and he knew it, that is why he left the party. It will take someone who will represent not only open government but ALL citizens no matter their economic status.
Attorney General of SD (open seat) with Jackboots running for governor, this will open this wide open. Besides US Congress, this may be a job Brendan Johnson could consider running for.
Secretary of State of SD (open seat) with the shoe salesperson boot scooting her way out of the SOS office (in which she had to hire temps to help clean up after the last goon farting all over it and wiped his butt with the state flag) this would be another great seat for Dems to pick up (they should have last time).
Governor of SD (open seat) this will quickly become a hot mess all around. I have suggested the Dems put up Joe Lowe as their candidate and have NO primary. I know Billy Sutton’s name comes up quite often too, but I don’t think Billy knows what party he is in, since he continually votes for Republican tax plans (teacher pay).
US Congress (open seat) I’m still sticking to my guns and say Huether will run for this seat as an indy. This leaves him and Dusty to battle it out leaving a popular Democrat to sweep in at the end. I say Dusty because I don’t think Shantel ‘Glass Slipper’ Krebs can beat Dusty. He is just a far more personable campaigner, and if you have had any interaction with Shoeless Krebs you will realize she holds an elitist attitude towards the minions. She is vehemently against the initiated measure process. As for my MMM prediction, it is something I have felt for awhile, but after him and his BFF, Rob Oliver slipped SHS in at Augie, I felt it was a mild ploy to eliminate her as competition.
With all these open seats, the Democrats need to pounce NOW! The Republicans are already showing multiple candidates for Governor, Congress and AG. And what have the Democrats shown? NOT Squat.
As I have told several within the party, the chair, Ann Tornberg needs to be calling the leading candidates RIGHT NOW and asking the question, Yes? NO? Or Maybe? Especially with some of the obvious ones, like Brendan Johnson. This screwing around worrying about IM 22 and whether or no gays can adopt need to be handled by special interests. The party needs to concentrate on rebuilding the party, that means finding at least 2 candidates to run for each of these seats and several of the legislative races. If the Democratic party can’t start making announcements by at least the end of May (2017) they might as well just shut the lights off and pack up, because you are toast.
Update: State Auditor, Commissioner of School & Public Lands and PUC will also be up for grabs.