Knudson: State has problems, I can fix them

Republican governor candidate Dave Knudson is trying to convince South Dakotans that they have problems and that he’s the man to fix them, but he’s having trouble finding voters who are interested in the race.

Knudson, who calls himself “Mr. Fix It” in his campaign advertisements, met with The Daily Republic’s editorial board Thursday. He said many people “have a skepticism” about politics that causes them to question whether “it’s actually worth the value to engage” in a campaign.

“The public has just seen government as so ineffective in the last decade or so, and that’s probably true at every level,” Knudson said. “They just feel like it’s not worth paying attention anymore, because government can’t ever actually function.”

He said voters have some serious concerns about the economy, but they tend to associate those concerns with a federal government that they view as “polarized” and “stalemated.”

“There’s probably some sense that Washington deals with that,” Knudson said of the economy, “so that deep concern about the uncertainty of the economic future hasn’t energized people a lot on state elections.”

A lack of energy among voters could be bad news for Knudson, who resides in Sioux Falls and is the state Senate majority leader. He claimed Thursday to have the momentum in the GOP race, but he acknowledged that Lt. Gov. Dennis Daugaard, of Garretson, is the frontrunner with less than two weeks until the June 8 primary election. Also in the race for the Republican nomination are former Brookings mayor Scott Munsterman, Buffalo Gap rancher Ken Knuppe and self-described “tea party candidate” Gordon Howie, of Rapid City. Incumbent Republican Gov. Mike Rounds cannot seek re-election this year because of term limits.

To gain ground on Daugaard, Knudson plans to keep telling voters about the challenges facing the state. He thinks voters will be listening more closely as the day of the election draws near.

“We have real problems, and to continue to tread water is a mistake,” Knudson said. “I have the background and record of achievement and the drive to solve problems, and that could actually move state government to deal with these problems, which will ultimately produce a better quality of life for South Dakota.”

The problems identified by Knudson include a projected state budget deficit of about $100 million, deteriorating roads across the state with insufficient funding to fix them, and an education system that is getting pinched by the state’s budget situation.

Knudson said he is the candidate most qualified to tackle those problems. His experience includes degrees from Harvard College, New York University School of Law and the University of South Dakota School of Business; 35 years as a business lawyer; four terms as a state senator; and two stints as chief of staff to thengovernor Bill Janklow.

While Knudson has played up the state’s problems and the need for solutions, Daugaard’s message has been more about his own personal story and his qualifications as a leader. The two sparred recently over language in a Daugaard fundraising letter that said there is no budget crisis in South Dakota. Knudson accused Daugaard of hiding his “head in the sand” and said the projected budget deficit of roughly $100 million is correctly described as a crisis.

Following Knudson’s stop Thursday at The Daily Republic, he headed up Mitchell’s Main Street on foot for some door-to-door campaigning. He was scheduled to conduct a meet-and-greet with local voters later Thursday at the Highland Conference Center.

Tags: election 2010, dave knudson, news, local