There has been a rumor circulating that Stehly is considering a run for District 14 Senate. Deb Soholt will be term limited so Stehly could run for that seat in 2020.
As we both know, Stehly hasn’t decided to run for re-election on the city council, so maybe a run for the state legislature is more appealing to her. Even though Theresa would most likely run as a Republican, you can be sure she would work across the aisle to do the people’s work.
As much as I would hate losing one of the only 2 voices we really have for the people of Sioux Falls on the city council, if she isnt going to run for re-election in the city, we definitely need her for the state.
I think it would be a mistake. She should run for re-election. If she runs for the state senate in District 14, the Taupsters will beat her in a Republican primary. If she survived the primary and ran against a strong Democratic candidate like Erin Healey, which is a possible state senate candidacy in 14 as well, I think she would lose to Erin with the help of pro-choice Republicans and Democatic voters.
She’s done her best as a councilor. There’s to much corruption. Other councilors and the mayor bully her such that she’s defenseless. It’s going to take a constitutional S.D. Supreme Court case to replace the charter and supervise a new one.
Meanwhile, Stehly is a patriot who belongs in state government.
Agree on the prospect of electing a Democrat to the Dist 14 Senate seat, denying Stehly of the seat, even were she to survive a primary challenge from the R establishment. But I agree for reasons different than stated by ESG.
Don’t let voter registration rolls fool you. 13 and 14 are full of those who are ‘democrats’ in sentiment and philosophy. They just register as Republican in order to be included in the social club which is republicanism in South Dakota.
They wouldn’t vote for AOC. But solid, hard-working and likable Dem candidates and the anonymity of the voting booth are granting cover for those 13 and 14 dems-registered-as-Repubs to pull the lever for Ds. Helping to achieve these election results have been some Repub candidates who have been presumptuous in approach (“I’ve got the ‘R’, I am going to win”; see also Rolfing, Rex) and slothful in campaigning.
A past Dist 14 candidate tells me that the issue of life comes up on the campaign trail, but I think the numbers of voters in 13 and 14 who vote in line with that issue are decreasing.
And I would not classify some of those Dems who have had recent strong showings in elections in 13 and 14 are necessarily ‘mainstream South Dakota’ relative to social issues. They are getting the votes in 13 and 14 nonetheless.
13 and 14 are Bluer than ESG is giving credit and than reflected in voter registration.
But will Paulson’s Manchurian candidate relocate such that his handler can prop Jensen into the 14 Senate Repub primary?
[…] Read that here. […]
Phat Powers says I’m Stehly’s advisor. LOL. So I will tell everyone what advice I gave to Theresa. I told her to NOT run for a 2nd term on the council, and I NEVER told her to run for Legislature or the County Commission. I told Theresa we need her to lead some petition drives in SF because that is the only way you make any positive change in city government in this town and she is very good at it.
If the rumor is true, very disappointing.
There is a much greater need for her voice on the SF City Council than in Pierre.
Although, I agree with Scott, she is very good at running petition drives. She is the reason the low-income kids who live in the neighborhoods surrounding Drake Springs still have their main source of ‘summer fun’. She is the reason the end of my driveway is cleared during our long South Dakota winters.
I am grateful to her for both reasons and also for the voice she has provided the ‘average citizen’ over the past three and a half years.
If Theresa chooses not to run against the paulsen/jenson ticket, which claims it will raise $100,000 to compete with her, what happens to that money?