One of two Palace debates canceled

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One of the two debates scheduled for Saturday in Mitchell has been canceled.

Lt. Gov. Dennis Daugaard has dropped out of the debate following the death of his friend, Steven Hainje. Hainje died Monday of a heart attack at the age of 57.

A funeral service and burial is scheduled for Saturday morning in Dell Rapids. Daugaard plans to attend the service and burial and therefore will not be able to attend a gubernatorial debate Saturday morning with Democratic state Sen. Scott Heidepriem.

Hainje had been friends with Daugaard since the two were children. Each served as best man at the other’s wedding. Hainje was a resident of Maple Grove, Minn., and was the brother of the late Roger Hainje, a Sioux Falls business leader who died in the 1993 plane crash that also killed Gov. George Mickelson.

Daugaard, a Republican, was scheduled to debate Heidepriem at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Corn Palace. The event was organized by The Daily Republic in conjunction with the city of Mitchell and its Corn Palace staff.

After being notified Wednesday by Daugaard that he will not attend the debate, The Daily Republic began working to fill the 11 a.m. time slot with another debate or event. No plans had been finalized as of Wednesday evening.

The U.S. House debate pitting Democratic U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin against Republican state Rep. Kristi Noem will go ahead as scheduled at noon Saturday in the Corn Palace. Admittance is free, and the debate will also be shown live at www.mitchellrepublic.com. Daily Republic Publisher Korrie Wenzel said he still hopes to have a sizable crowd for the U.S. House debate.

“We feel terrible that the governor’s debate is canceled, but we feel worse for the family and friends of Steven Hainje,” Wenzel said. “This couldn’t be helped, but we will proceed as planned with the U.S. House debate.”

Heidepriem’s campaign manager, Steve Jarding, also expressed disappointment and condolences.

“Your first thoughts go to the family,” Jarding said. “They’re in our thoughts and prayers, and we wish them well and we understand. But politics will go on, and we look forward to hopefully being able to reschedule.”

Wenzel said Wednesday he does not yet know if The Daily Republic will attempt to reschedule the gubernatorial debate.

The next debate scheduled between Daugaard and Heidepriem is at 1 p.m. Sept. 4 on the NorthWestern Energy Freedom Stage at the South Dakota State Fair in Huron.

Tags: election 2010, corn palace festival debate, dennis daugaard, scott heidepriem, stephanie herseth sandlin, kristi noem, news, local, politics