Standing for Principle: Reflections from the Goodwin Forum

Good crowd in Goodwin

This past Saturday night, the community of Goodwin hosted a candidate forum. South Dakota Commissioner of School and Public Lands Brock Greenfield moderated the proceedings with clarity and fairness. Mary Nosbush and the dedicated members of the Deuel County Republicans served as gracious hosts. I extend my sincere gratitude to them for their efforts in organizing this important gathering.

Instead of the typical images focused solely on the candidates, I took a photograph of the audience. It is essential to acknowledge those citizens who gave up their Saturday evening to participate in the democratic process. To everyone who attended, thank you. Such engagement is vital for the health of our republic, and it was genuinely encouraging to see.

Nine candidates stood on stage that night, each seeking the trust of the voters. In the race for the House seat representing District 4, I face four opponents. The top two finishers will advance to the general election this November.

I believe the forum went well overall. There was particularly meaningful discussion surrounding my work to return a fair share of wind tax revenue to the school districts in District 4. During the past legislative session, I served as the House sponsor of SB 210, which would have achieved precisely that outcome. No other candidate in this race has engaged with this issue, either this year or in the past twenty years. It is a matter of basic fairness that communities bearing the burden of these developments should receive some benefit. I have built solid working relationships with the superintendents across District 4. Together with them, we have already begun the process of refining and redrafting this legislation for the next session.

I also spoke about SB 211, important legislation developed in collaboration with Senator Kolbeck and Representative Walburg. This measure seeks to ensure that our local volunteer emergency service providers receive proper reimbursement for their critical work supporting our communities.

The evening was not without controversy. The discussion turned to the South Dakota Republican Party platform. Those who know me recognize that I speak directly. I was elected by the people of District 4 to represent their interests and values, and I intend to fulfill that duty with integrity. Recently, elements of the state party leadership have moved outside their appropriate role. The party organization exists to support all Republican candidates elected by the people. A recent incident illustrates this problem clearly: https://dakotawarcollege.com/sdgop-chairman-gets-off-of-sickbed-to-attack-dusty-johnson/

I declared plainly during the forum that I will not subject myself to the purity test currently being demanded. Does this position make me a bad Republican? I can say with complete certainty that I have been a registered South Dakota Republican longer than most, and likely all, of my current opponents, and longer than many members of the present state party apparatus. To require fealty to an organization that has begun to attack its own elected representatives is a demand too far. My first loyalty must be to the people I was elected to serve, not to institutional power structures that have lost their way.

The path forward requires that we return to fundamental principles: honest representation, practical solutions for our districts, and a commitment to truth over enforced ideological conformity. I remain committed to fighting for the interests of District 4 above all else.