South Dakota lawmaker Steven Haugaard announced Wednesday he will mount a conservative primary challenge to Gov. Kristi Noem, who “bowed to the pressure of Big Business,” Haugaard said.
Haugaard said he’s launching his “South Dakota First” primary challenge against Noem, who is seeking a second term in 2022, because she has “been beholden to special interests,” an apparent swipe at the governor’s “style and form” veto of a bill that would have banned transgender girls and women from participating in female sports leagues. At the time, members of the GOP decried the veto as “caving” to business interests.
“I’ve watched with you as our rights, liberties, and freedoms as South Dakotans have come under assault by the extreme progressive left. Sadly, our own governor bowed to the pressure of Big Business behind closed doors,” he said in a campaign announcement.
SOUTH DAKOTA GOV. KRISTI NOEM ANNOUNCES REELECTION CAMPAIGN: ‘STILL MORE TO DO’
Haugaard specifically referenced the transgender issue in his press release, suggesting Noem was motivated by a desire to pursue higher office.
“Kristi Noem has been beholden to special interests, from the NCAA, to big business, to corporate lobbyists,” he said. “We need leadership that focuses on serving the needs of our people, not using the office as a stepping-stone.”
Haugaard served as speaker of the South Dakota House of Representatives from January 2019 to January 2021. He is currently a representative for District 10 in South Dakota, a position he’s held since 2015.
While she received backlash from the Right for vetoing the transgender sports bill, Noem said the legislation was too “vague,” would require schools to increase sports bureaucracies, could lead to a lot of unnecessary litigation, and set up the state for a losing battle with collegiate sports organizations.
Noem announced her reelection campaign last Friday. She rose to national prominence over her handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and her refusal to enact strict government mandates. She is widely viewed as a possible 2024 Republican presidential contender.
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The governor has recently faced allegations of nepotism that she dismissed as “total garbage.” In September, South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg announced he was reviewing nepotism concerns from state lawmakers about a meeting between Noem and her daughter last year, as well as a report detailing allegations that the governor is having an extramarital affair with former President Donald Trump’s confidant Corey Lewandowski. Noem’s daughter announced Tuesday that she will be quitting the real estate business amid the fallout.
The 2022 South Dakota governor’s election will take place on Nov. 8, 2022. Noem won the election in 2018 by a 3-point margin, the closest gubernatorial election in South Dakota since 1986.
