Noem out front but not alone in candidate ticket race
Kevin Woster Journal staff rapidcityjournal.com | Posted: Saturday, August 28, 2010 7:00 am
She isn't the only one who drives fast.
The 20 speeding tickets collected by state Rep. Kristi Noem's, R-Castlewood, during the last 21 years of driving sets a fast pace for candidates in the 2010 elections.
But other candidates have sped their way to a number of tickets, too, according to a court records check by KELO-TV in Sioux Falls.
State Sen. Scott Heidepriem, D-Sioux Falls, his party's candidate for governor, picked up 17 speeding tickets during the same period of time that Noem got her 20. And Lt. Gov. Dennis Daugaard, Heidepriem's opponent in the governor's race, got 12.
Neither is very proud of his total.
"I don't feel very good about the speeding tickets," Heidepriem wrote Friday in an e-mail. "I haven't had one in four years. But it is still wrong."
Daugaard campaign manager Tony Venhuizen responded by e-mail Friday on behalf of the lieutenant governor.
"I know his comment to a reporter yesterday was just that he tries to be a safe driver," Venhuizen wrote. "But if he speeds he deserves to pay the fine and is happy to do it."
U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-S.D., had one speeding ticket during the time period checked by KELO. Independent U.S. House candidate B. Thomas Marking of Custer also had one speeding ticket.
The issue has become prominent this week in the House campaign, where polling has shown Noem with a lead over Herseth Sandlin in the U.S. House race. Some Noem supporters question the importance of the tickets to the campaign.
"I think this is the kind of stuff that makes politics silly. Why is it that every election instead of issues we're talking about silly things like this," said state Rep. Bob Faehn, R-Watertown, the majority leader in the House. "Frankly, I think this will backfire on the Herseth Sandlin campaign. I think people will shake their heads at the level we've already gotten to in this campaign."
Noem should be judged not on her string of tickets but on her positions on issues and her qualifications to represent South Dakota in Congress, Faehn said.
"Obviously, Kristi was an assistant leader for me, and I'd hire her to work for me anytime," Faehn said. "I don't care how many speeding tickets she has.
Herseth Sandlin campaign adviser Russ Levsen said the speeding issues do matter. But Noem also had other violations on top of the speeding and twice had warrants against her for overdue payments, Levsen said. That shows an irresponsible disregard for the law, Levsen said.
"No amount of political spin will change her record," he said.
None of the other candidates - Herseth Sandlin, Marking, Heidepriem and Daugaard - checked by KELO had warrants issued for late payments on their fines.
Kevin Woster Journal staff rapidcityjournal.com | Posted: Saturday, August 28, 2010 7:00 am
She isn't the only one who drives fast.
The 20 speeding tickets collected by state Rep. Kristi Noem's, R-Castlewood, during the last 21 years of driving sets a fast pace for candidates in the 2010 elections.
But other candidates have sped their way to a number of tickets, too, according to a court records check by KELO-TV in Sioux Falls.
State Sen. Scott Heidepriem, D-Sioux Falls, his party's candidate for governor, picked up 17 speeding tickets during the same period of time that Noem got her 20. And Lt. Gov. Dennis Daugaard, Heidepriem's opponent in the governor's race, got 12.
Neither is very proud of his total.
"I don't feel very good about the speeding tickets," Heidepriem wrote Friday in an e-mail. "I haven't had one in four years. But it is still wrong."
Daugaard campaign manager Tony Venhuizen responded by e-mail Friday on behalf of the lieutenant governor.
"I know his comment to a reporter yesterday was just that he tries to be a safe driver," Venhuizen wrote. "But if he speeds he deserves to pay the fine and is happy to do it."
U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-S.D., had one speeding ticket during the time period checked by KELO. Independent U.S. House candidate B. Thomas Marking of Custer also had one speeding ticket.
The issue has become prominent this week in the House campaign, where polling has shown Noem with a lead over Herseth Sandlin in the U.S. House race. Some Noem supporters question the importance of the tickets to the campaign.
"I think this is the kind of stuff that makes politics silly. Why is it that every election instead of issues we're talking about silly things like this," said state Rep. Bob Faehn, R-Watertown, the majority leader in the House. "Frankly, I think this will backfire on the Herseth Sandlin campaign. I think people will shake their heads at the level we've already gotten to in this campaign."
Noem should be judged not on her string of tickets but on her positions on issues and her qualifications to represent South Dakota in Congress, Faehn said.
"Obviously, Kristi was an assistant leader for me, and I'd hire her to work for me anytime," Faehn said. "I don't care how many speeding tickets she has.
Herseth Sandlin campaign adviser Russ Levsen said the speeding issues do matter. But Noem also had other violations on top of the speeding and twice had warrants against her for overdue payments, Levsen said. That shows an irresponsible disregard for the law, Levsen said.
"No amount of political spin will change her record," he said.
None of the other candidates - Herseth Sandlin, Marking, Heidepriem and Daugaard - checked by KELO had warrants issued for late payments on their fines.