windjammer
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« on: July 04, 2013, 07:34:55 AM » |
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"he announcement by U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem earlier this week that she will not run for the U.S. Senate next year has prompted another conservative Republican to get serious about that race.
State Sen. Larry Rhoden, a 54-year-old rancher and custom welder from Union Center, said Thursday that he will decide within the next few weeks whether to run for the U.S. Senate in 2014.
With former Gov. Mike Rounds already months into the campaign for the seat held by Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson, who is not running again, Rhoden would come in to the race as a clear underdog in a Republican primary next spring.
"I know it would be a tall order, especially going up against someone with the high name ID like Mike Rounds," Rhoden said. "But on the other hand, life presents few opportunities like this."
The third-term state senator, who also served four terms in the South Dakota House, said he considers himself more conservative than Rounds and also less a member of the political establishment. Voters tired of the status quo in Washington, D.C., might be ready for an outsider, Rhoden said.
"The status quo won't get us anywhere," he said. "We need people ready to break the mold of traditional politics and work to get something done."
Noem has been considering a Senate run, with encouragement from conservatives who consider Rounds unacceptably moderate on some issues. Other conservatives could also emerge for the Senate primary.
When Noem announced that she would seek re-election to the House next year, Rhoden decided to make a decision soon on the Senate race.
"Now that Kristi has announced and we're getting closer to July, I'll have to make a decision, probably sometime next month," he said. "There are issues we're working on right now, as far as trying to put a team together."
Rounds said this week that he intends to raise $9 million for the campaign, primary and general election included. Rhoden said he could make a competitive primary run with $1 million.
"I think you need to raise a million to be effective," he said. "I'd start out playing catch up for name ID. In South Dakota, name ID is relatively cheap. But it's not free. I'd need enough money to increase that ID and get my message out." "
An article from rapidcityjournal.
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