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Democratic candidates are “sprinting to the finish,” according to Scott Heidepriem, the Democratic candidate for governor.
Heidepriem led a group of Democratic candidates who stopped Monday in Mitchell as part of a two-day “victory tour.”
Heidepriem said he feels all trends point to a win for him, making him the first Democrat to be elected governor in South Dakota since Dick Kneip won the last of three elections in 1974. He and his running mate, Ben Arndt, are running against Lt. Gov. Dennis Daugaard, the Republican candidate, whose running mate is state Sen. Matt Michels. Continue Reading

Daugaard says he’ll make tourism a Cabinet department
Lt. Gov. Dennis Daugaard said he will add a secretary of tourism to his Cabinet if he is elected.
“I plan to elevate tourism to a Cabinet level,” Daugaard said during a telephone interview Wednesday with The Daily Republic. “It is our second most important economic driver in South Dakota.” Continue Reading

PIERRE South Dakota’s two candidates for governor traded some of the sharpest charges of their campaign Monday night in a televised debate that displayed their differing approaches to dealing with state budget problems, education and other issues.
Democratic nominee Scott Heidepriem repeatedly said Republican Lt. Gov. Dennis Daugaard has failed to provide any details of his plans for dealing with the state budget and education funding. Continue Reading

PIERRE The two candidates’ official finance reports show that contributors gave much more money, and did so on a much wider basis, this year to Republican Lt. Gov. Dennis Daugaard than to state Senate Democratic leader Scott Heidepriem in their campaigns to be elected South Dakota’s next governor.
The reports, which became available during the weekend after the Friday filing deadline, show that Daugaard raised and spent more in the five months since he won the June Republican primary election than Heidepriem, who didn’t have a primary, has raised and spent all of this year so far. Continue Reading

PIERRE Democrat Scott Heidepriem tells voters if they want a change in state government, they should elect him as South Dakota’s next governor. Republican Dennis Daugaard counters that he offers a wide range of experience and a steady hand.
The race between Heidepriem, leader of the Democratic minority in the state Senate, and Daugaard, the lieutenant governor for the past eight years, has focused mainly on the state’s budget problems and what each candidate proposes to do about it. Continue Reading

South Dakota Democrats have long relied on some Republican support and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Scott Heidepriem is also banking on votes from people who don’t belong to his party. Continue Reading

A new Democratic-commissioned poll claims Scott Heidepriem and Ben Arndt are gaining ground in the gubernatorial race and Dennis Daugaard and Matt Michels are losing it.
According to the Democrats, the new poll shows Heidepriem now trails Daugaard 45-32 percent with 22 percent undecided.
“We think it’s a good sign,” said Heiedepriem campaign manager Steve Jarding. “This is a time when a lot of voters are starting to pay attention, particularly in a low-profile race.” Continue Reading