Democrat wins Janklow's House seat

Wednesday, June 2, 2004 Posted: 11:25 AM EDT (1525 GMT)

 

 

SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota (AP) -- Stephanie Herseth, a lawyer who left the East Coast for a career in politics in her home state, narrowly defeated a Republican former lawmaker Tuesday in a special congressional election that was closely watched by national parties looking for momentum heading into November.

 

Herseth will immediately fill the seat of Bill Janklow, who was convicted of manslaughter and went to jail over a deadly auto accident.

 

With 96 percent of precincts reporting, Herseth had 124,647 votes, or 51 percent, to Admin Diedrich's 121,719 votes, or 49 percent.

 

Herseth is a 33-year-old Georgetown-educated lawyer and a member of one of South Dakota's most distinguished political families. She gained name recognition after running a close race against Janklow in 2002, when the Republican moved to Congress after four terms as governor.

 

Herseth now will serve out the seven months left in Janklow's term. Herseth and Diedrich will meet again in November to compete for a full two-year term. Herseth, however, will have the advantage of incumbency in holding South Dakota's lone House seat.

 

Her victory gave the Democrats two straight triumphs this year in special elections waged for GOP-held seats, and coincided with Democratic claims that a national tide is running their way ahead of the fall campaign. Recent polling shows support slumping for President Bush as well as for the Republican majority in the House.

 

Despite the gains in South Dakota and in Kentucky earlier this year, the Democrats must pick up 11 more seats in the general election to gain control of the House.

 

 

 

 

Dems gaining steam going into the presidential election.

Yeah, real impressive that the Dems have acheived unmitigated success in that political cauldron of South Dakota.

 

The politics surrounding the vote for weekly AAA crossing guard in an elementary school are more complex and indicative of national mood than the politics of the 7 people who live in South Dakota.

Yeah, real impressive that the Dems have acheived unmitigated success in that political cauldron of South Dakota.

 

The politics surrounding the vote for weekly AAA crossing guard in an elementary school are more complex and indicative of national mood than the politics of the 7 people who live in South Dakota.

lol...I always thought it was weird that the Dems leader (Daschle?) came from one of the Dakotas.

I gotta believe tht its pretty easy to keep winning reelection in small constituencies like that. Heck, you know just about everyone that lives there.

Kentucky is also a who cares state also right?

So that's why The Rep are pumping so much time and money into SD to try to unseat Daschle?

 

Yeah, it means nothing

HEE HEE Fish Fillet. Tim Johnson won in the SD Senate race in 2002 in a race a lot of people thought he'd lose, yet Democrats lost overall nationwide.

 

I wish Daschle would go. If anyone needs to find a life outside the Senate, it should be him. At least to spare us from his nancy-boy voice. But as FF said, Dakotans be weird and s***.

 

And DT, Kentucky has a lot more people than SD. Hell, even Rhode Island, Idaho and your favorite (Montana) have more residents.

And DT, Kentucky has a lot more people than SD. Hell, even Rhode Island, Idaho and your favorite (Montana) have more residents.

i know.

 

 

 

but considering that FF seems to see no worry in this at all for his party....

 

 

the same thing happened in kentucky....just wondering if that also means so little also.

And DT, Kentucky has a lot more people than SD. Hell, even Rhode Island, Idaho and your favorite (Montana) have more residents.

i know.

 

 

 

but considering that FF seems to see no worry in this at all for his party....

 

 

the same thing happened in kentucky....just wondering if that also means so little also. Uh...pretty much. I'll start using my liberal-repellant spray when they make a move in a battleground state.

 

Like the article says, there is an 11 seat cushion for the GOP. They'll pick the battles they think are important, and no offense, but KY and SD are not exactly the most important states in the union in which one needs to expend poltical capital to maintain traction nationally.

 

As for going after Daschle. If he was a freshman junior member the GOP wouldn't care less. But since he's ranking he could be from Uzbekistan and the Republicans are still going to go after him.

seats add up.

 

 

 

the republicans are taking things for granted.

This is a lot more important than fish fillet is making it out to be. It isnt just a "oh well, its a small state thing." Its like rune said, the Repubs are pumping a lot of money and are crossing the line of an unwritten rule(a house leader activley campaigning against another house leader) to try and unseat Daschle. Dont fall for the spin that "I dont like Dacshle so Ill ignore the point." Every seat counts especially since both parties are so divisive right now that they wont agree on much. Comprimise is not going to happen too often. Plus for Republicans, I wouldnt pretend that 11 seats is some solid cushion, especially since there are other seats up for contest. And with the trend showing that Senators are going away from executive power and toward legislative agendas again, I doubt party loyalty for those 11 extra seats can always be counted on.

 

Its like Das Texan and Sham said..this is starting to be a trend that Republicans cannot like seeing.

The RNC isn't too worried about it, so niether am I. I hardly think that a Democrat with a high-powered and locally recognized last name winning an election in who-cares Dakota is the start of a snowball running down the hill.

 

And like I said about Daschle, it doesn't matter where he came from, he's on the RNC's target list, so they will pump money into any local jag-off who will run against him.

The RNC isn't too worried about it, so niether am I.

 

Id like to see the day the RNC or DNC explicitely says they are worried about a political trend.