Will S.D. Democrats help independent Bengs scale Mt. Everest?
South Dakota Democrats have a decision to make:
Is your frustration and anger surrounding Julian Beaudion’s decision to step aside in the Senate race going to control you?
Or:
Are you going to allow the rational part of your brain to prevail?
Running for statewide office is like climbing Mt. Everest. It takes many Sherpas (people to help carry the load) and oxygen (money) to be successful.
The reality is Julian withdrew from the race. As I read the various quotes attributed to him and the reliable media stories, there were several reasons for the decision. You can’t change that.
The Senate race is now between the Republican incumbent Mike Rounds, whose votes and silence have done harm here, and Independent Brian Bengs who wants to be our voice in the Senate.
I know some Dems are mad Bengs is even in the race. Allegedly he changed his mind after the conversation with Julian in early 2025. He, like all of us, has a right to change his mind. He entered as an independent. An affiliation he has had for years, except when he ran for the Senate in 2022. Some people are mad he ran as a Dem then and is now an independent.
I do not believe Beng’s words or actions forced Julian out of the race. I am on a first name basis with both men. Neither are capable of such behavior. Julian received input from both in-state and out of state Democrats. Running is a very personal decision. Deciding not to run is a VERY personal decision. If he received physical threats, that is a crime which he should report to law enforcement.
We have learned in recent elections the truism “your vote matters.” The new mayor of Sioux Falls won by four votes.
So, are you going to participate in the political process or are you going to stay home?
I hope South Dakota Democrats remember the goal:
RETIRE Mike Rounds.
You may not love or even like Brian Bengs, but he is the only choice you have if you truly want to retire Mike Rounds.
So you have a decision. “Do I stay home and give the Senate seat to Rounds and therefore Trump for another six years?” Or, “Do I support a candidate who can change the majority in the U.S. Senate, making history?”
Are you going to be a Sherpa and oxygen provider to help retire/fire Mike Rounds?
At the beginning of Julian’s campaign, we talked. I gave him a check. Do you realize if 100,000 of the 130,000 Democrats in South Dakota had given Julian $5 early this year, he would have had half a million dollars available to give his campaign oxygen (money). $5 is about the cost of two cups of coffee.
Being mad at Brian Bengs is easy. Finding a scapegoat is easy. But that anger is misplaced. The frustration should be focused inward. Why didn’t I write a check? Why didn’t I volunteer? Why didn’t my party organize and provide him Sherpas and oxygen to complete the climb?
Rounds is not popular within his own party. Brian Bengs has a solid chance to win. There are plenty of independents supporting him. To have him reach the summit (win) he will need the support of thousands of Democrats as Sherpas and Oxygen providers.
I hope you are one of them.
Rick Knobe is a former mayor of Sioux Falls and a longtime radio talk show host, now retired.
Photo: public domain, wikimedia commons
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