District 20 state Senate race: Incumbent, two challengers compete for seat in Pierre

Talk about it

Steve Sibson

Steve “Sibby” Sibson said he wants to give voters a choice Tuesday.

Sibson is running as an independent candidate for state Senate in District 20, which consists of Davison and Aurora counties. Susan Thie is the Democratic candidate and the Republican candidate is state Sen. Mike Vehle.

“I am running to give the good people of District 20 a real choice for state senator,” he said. “In the recent past, the seat has either been filled by one who was unopposed, or by a choice between two party-establishment candidates whose goal is to grow government bureaucracy.

“I am running for those who want to reduce government bureaucracy and return control back to the citizens.”

The Mitchell native has stayed close to home. He works four blocks from where he was born.

Sibson, 54, is a division controller for Toshiba. He received a master’s degree in accounting from the University of South Dakota in 1983. His wife’s name is Kathy.

This is Sibson’s first run for office, but he has been a close observer of South Dakota politics for years.

“Since 2000 I have been involved in the state’s Legislature as an unpaid volunteer citizen lobbyist,” he said. “So I do understand the process well.”

Sibson is well known in the South Dakota political community for his at-times fiery conservative views. He is campaigning by going door-todoor and handing out small booklets that include the Constitution and other historic political documents.

“I am running independent from both parties and am funding my own campaign so that I am also independent from the special interests who want a bigger piece of the ever-growing budget,” he said.

“They help fund the party establishment candidates and also have the resources to lobby them in Pierre,” Sibson said.

“I will be able to say no to them and use my accounting education and experience to give South Dakota something they have not had in Pierre in regard to decisions made on spending taxes and borrowed money from our children.”

The main issue at the Capitol next year will be money, as usual, he said.

“Of course the budget is a big issue of the day,” Sibson said. “I plan to get to the bottom of the programs that the money is being spent on and look to shift from less important programs that special interests want and instead reallocate to fundamental government services such as maintaining our roads.

“Once fundamental services are funded, then funding of unneeded programs are put into reserve for the next rainy day, or used to reduce taxes, or pay down the federal debt. We need to come together as Americans and make those decisions.”

Sibson said he views himself as a representative of the people.

“I can’t make a difference, but we the citizens can. If the government is to be returned to the citizens, then the citizens need to take charge and demand it back,” he said. “I am willing to lead that work.

“By voting for me, you are sending the message that you are ready to do more for yourself, and rely less on government.”

Susan Thie

Susan Thie said she wants to represent District 20 in the state Senate in a different manner than most elected officials.

“The difference I will make in Pierre is the fact that I am not your traditional politician,” Thie said. “When others want to argue about their pet theories, I will steer clear of those debates and talk about practical, down-to-earth matters on which we can all agree.”

Thie, 47, is the Democratic candidate in a three-way race Tuesday for the seat now held by Republican candidate state Sen. Mike Vehle. Steve “Sibby” Sibson is running as an independent.

All three are from Mitchell. The district includes Davison and Aurora counties.

Thie, a CPA, said she feels she would bring her job skills to the Senate along with an ability to achieve the needed results.

“I bring to the Senate seat a solid background in fiscal responsibility that is founded in my hard work and strong ethics,” she said. “I am a very flexible person who can stay focused and productive, even when the demands of my work pull me in many different directions at once.”

This is her first bid for elected office.

“Two years ago, a seed was planted to run for public office,” Thie said. “This past 2010 session was frustrating for me to hear what was, or rather, what was not, going on in Pierre and not be able to do anything about it.”

She feels state spending will once again top the Legislature’s agenda.

“There are two major issues in the campaign: the budget and education,” Thie said. “The first will be to cut government spending, which has increased 53 percent over the past seven years, and then put the spending on education back to at least 39 percent of the overall budget, up from 31 percent in the current year’s proposed budget.”

Thie, 47, was born in Mitchell and has lived in South Dakota for all but 1½ years of her life. She and her husband, Terry, have four children: Erica, Kelsey, Koln and Melina.

Thie is a controller at the University of Sioux Falls and a member of the South Dakota CPA Society. She earned a degree in interdepartmental studies (math, music and business administration), at Augustana College. A decade after she graduated, she returned to school to earn a CPA designation.

Mike Vehle

State Sen. Mike Vehle sees serving in the Legislature as a way to repay his community.

“I’ve always felt, if you can make a difference, you have to give back to your community,” Vehle said.

He is the Republican candidate Tuesday for a seat in the state Senate from District 20, which consists of Aurora and Davison counties. Vehle is running against Democrat Susan Thie and independent candidate Steve “Sibby” Sibson. “I think one would tell you I’m too conservative and one would say I’m not conservative enough,” Vehle said.

He grew up in Chamberlain and graduated from high school there before attending the University of South Dakota, where he studied political science and business before graduating in 1972.

Vehle then volunteered for Jim Abdnor’s 1972 congressional campaign. Abdnor selected him as a staffer when he was elected and Vehle spent four years in Washington, D.C.

“Ever since I was a legislative aide to Congressman Jim Abdnor, I’ve had an interest in politics,” he said.

Vehle said the mid-1970s, with the Watergate scandal and other political issues, was an amazing time to be in the nation’s capital. “Very interesting years,” he said.

But after four years, Vehle decided to return to South Dakota and leave politics behind. He served as president of Shanard Inc., a grain, feed, seed and fertilizer company before joining CorTrust Bank, where he retired last year as a vice president and credit card manager.

Vehle served two terms in the state House before moving to the Senate in 2008.

He described his politics as moderate to conservative. Vehle said he is staunchly conservative on fiscal issues but more willing to see both sides on social issues.

Working with legislators from both parties and all walks of life has taught him to appreciate the variety of views South Dakotans hold, Vehle said.

“You try to find (common ground) because we’re not always going to agree,” Vehle said.

If he wins a second term in the Senate, Vehle said he will focus on the state budget while working to fund education.

He said there’s no doubt the state faces economic challenges, and he predicts some programs will be eliminated to allow the state to properly fund vital programs and departments.

Vehle hands out candy with a campaign logo on it. He said it’s a good icebreaker and allows him to hear what people think about issues in the state.

“I’ve talked to a lot of people,” Vehle said. “I go to a lot of organizational things.”

Vehle, 60, is single. He said he still enjoys serving in the Legislature and isn’t sure how much longer he would seek to stay in office if he wins Nov. 2.

Tags: election 2010, steve sibson, mike vehle, susan thie, news, local, politics, legislature, fccnetwork