PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — Three Republicans have announced their intentions to run for South Dakota's lone seat in the U.S. House, an indication the GOP believes Democratic Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin might be vulnerable as she seeks a fourth full term.
Secretary of State Chris Nelson and state Rep. R. Blake Curd of Sioux Falls have jumped into the race, and political newcomer Thad Wasson of Piedmont, a telephone company technician, earlier said he also is running for the GOP's congressional nomination. All have said Herseth Sandlin is part of a Democratic Congress that has run up massive deficits.
And the National Republican Congressional Committee issues press releases nearly every day criticizing the Democratic congresswoman, sometimes blasting her for what she might do.
However, University of South Dakota political science professor Bill Richardson said it will be difficult for Republicans to unseat Herseth Sandlin because she has voted mostly in line with South Dakotans' views on issues.
"She's careful and prudent and is unlikely to make major missteps," Richardson said. "The major weakness she may have is associated not so much with her own actions as with the actions of the national Democratic administration playing out in Washington."
Even if President Obama and the Democratic Congress lose popularity because of their handling of issues such as the economy, foreign policy and health care reform, it's hard to say how that would affect South Dakota's congressional race, Richardson said.
Herseth Sandlin is a co-chair of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate to conservative House Democrats. While she voted for the president's economic stimulus package, she voted against the bailouts for the financial industry and the auto industry. She also voted against the climate bill in the House last summer.
And on Saturday, Herseth Sandlin was one of 39 Democrats who voted against a Democratic-written health care bill in the House.
Nelson, who has been secretary of state since 2003, said the race should deal with issues and votes, not labels like Blue Dog.
"What we have to look at in South Dakota is how does our incumbent congresswoman vote," the secretary of state said.
Curd, a surgeon and first-term state lawmaker, said he believes Herseth Sandlin is vulnerable in next year's election. South Dakota voters are paying attention to health care reform, deficit spending and foreign policy, he said.
"There are many people who feel the current congressional focus is not in the best interest of the state of South Dakota and there are people who are interested in seeing that be different, seeing us stand up and be part of putting the country back on a path that helps to benefit this state," Curd said.
Herseth Sandlin said the Republicans must not be very familiar with her voting record. She said she voted against cash for clunkers and the bailouts for the financial and auto industries because they spent money without adequate oversight and without any direct benefit to South Dakota.
"I think I have a strong record of fiscal responsibility," she said. "My voting record is consistent with priorities in South Dakota."
The stimulus measure was good for South Dakota and the nation because it will help end the recession so Congress can more quickly deal with the federal budget, Herseth Sandlin said.
"The economy was in free-fall," she said. "No action would have meant a deeper recession that lasted longer, making it even harder to address the fiscal health of the country."
Democrats nationally have said their success in next year's election will depend partly on their ability to pass Obama's legislative agenda. But a president's party nearly always loses House seats in midterm elections.
Herseth Sandlin starts with an advantage over Republican candidates in campaign funds. Her campaign had $226,582 in cash on hand on Sept. 30, only about half as much as the campaign had at the same point before the last election.
National Republican Party officials have said they might help support the GOP candidate next year.
Richardson said the GOP has some qualified candidates in the race, but it's too early to tell whether the winner of the June 2010 Republican primary will have enough name recognition to defeat the Democratic congresswoman.
"We're a long way our from people coalescing firmly in their beliefs on who they're for," the political science professor said.
Richardson said polling indicates people are paying the most attention to the economy and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it's possible the economy will worsen and the wars will heat up.
"But a lot can happen in 12 months, so predicting what the real battle will be about is more than a little uncertain at this stage," Richardson said. "I stayed away from astrology and decided I was going into something called political science."
