The Denver Post

South Dakota:

- By James Nord

A partially paralyzed ex-saddle bronc rider hopes to be state’s first Democratic governor in four decades.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.» Billie Sutton planned to be a world champion saddle bronc rider, but a rodeo accident that claimed his burgeoning career and his ability to walk led instead to a political rise that could make Sutton the first Democrat elected South Dakota governor in over four decades.

A horse flipped over on Sutton in 2007, partially paralyzing him and ending a ride that had brought him among the top 30 in the world for profession­al rodeo. Sutton said the injury awoke in him a “service over self” mentality. In the ensuing years, he started a family and became the top state Senate Democrat before launching a bid for governor.

“I was faced with a choice: Take the easy way and give up, or live by the values I was raised with. Do it the cowboy way: Never give up, and never quit,” Sutton said at a campaign kickoff last year on his family’s ranch.

Sutton has since taken in more than $1.2 million — the campaign says he’s on track to raise more than any previous Democratic candidate for South Dakota governor — running as a “pro-life and pro-second Amendment” moderate and anti-corruption champion seeking to bolster his base by attracting Republican and independen­t voters in heavily conservati­ve South Dakota.

The 34-year-old community bank investment executive has much to overcome: a nearly 100,000-voter GOP advantage and a top-tier opponent, U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem, who has won four terms in Congress and easily triumphed in her June primary election to succeed Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard. Sutton in May reported having about $880,000 in the bank, while Noem had more than $1 million.

Sutton has branded Noem “politics as usual,” contending residents are sick of partisan divisions and that he wants to represent all of South Dakota. Sutton recently chose a Republican businesswo­man (she switched parties) to be his running mate.

Wearing his cowboy hat and rolling his wheelchair down a line of people at the Sioux Empire Fair, Sutton’s standard greeting was, “Billie Sutton, running for governor.” He quickly encountere­d a Republican.

“I don’t care much about party affiliatio­n,” Sutton said. “I just think we need to do what’s right.”

Steve Jarding, a longtime Democratic strategist, said Sutton is making the campaign about his vision, not about his party, and enjoys a strong family name — his grandfathe­r was the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor in 1978. Jarding said Sutton can appeal to mainstream Republican­s, particular­ly supporters of Noem’s primary opponent, Attorney General Marty Jackley, whose loss under a barrage of negative ads from Noem may have left a lingering division in the state GOP.

Jarding said Sutton “could break that drought, and Republican­s could feel fine about it.”

De Knudson, a moderate Republican and former Sioux Falls city councilor, switched her support to Sutton after Jackley’s loss. It was a text message from her son on primary night asking Knudson to back Sutton — cemented later by his pick of former Republican Michelle Lavallee as lieutenant governor — that led Knudson to hold a recent campaign fundraiser at her Sioux Falls home.

“After being a senator for eight years, Billie has created a record that is very, very moderate, like so many of you are, about open government, transparen­cy and really reaching across the aisle,” Lavallee told those who attended.

But Sutton’s strategy to transcend party labels didn’t sway 28-year-old computer programmer Adam Jungers, who asked Sutton at the fair, “As a prolife conservati­ve, why should I vote for you?” Afterward, Jungers said he would stick with Noem.

Noem — first elected to Congress in 2010 — said her values match South Dakota’s, invoking a campaign pledge not to raise taxes nor grow state government, improve transparen­cy and fight federal intrusion. She said Sutton is surrounded by liberal Democrats who support Planned Parenthood and labor unions.

“What Democrat Billie Sutton says and what he really believes and what his supporters believe are two very different things,” Noem said.

But Sutton did vote for a 20-week abortion ban in 2016, and his campaign notes his support this year for a resolution endorsing South Dakota’s right-towork status.

This legislativ­e session, Sutton focused on government transparen­cy, earlychild­hood education and economic developmen­t, but he came out of the Republican-controlled Legislatur­e with few victories. Sutton said he launched the governor campaign over frustratio­n with corruption in South Dakota and the Gopled repeal of a voterimpos­ed government ethics overhaul in 2017.

Voters will decide a similar “anti-corruption” ballot measure this year, and Sutton has made government integrity a major focus of his bid.

Fellow Democratic Sen. Troy Heinert said Sutton approaches lawmaking with the attitude of someone who rides bucking horses for a living: “110 percent focused.”

“What’s been bad for him personally has been good for South Dakota,” Heinert said. “He could still be riding broncs at the National Finals Rodeo, but ... he didn’t let his accident stop him.”

 ?? Jay Pickthorn, Argus Leader ?? South Dakota state Sen. Billie Sutton rides a horse on his family’s farm in Gregory County. Sutton is paralyzed from the waist down from a 2007 rodeo accident and uses a special saddle with straps to hold him in without the use of his legs to grip the horse’s side.
Jay Pickthorn, Argus Leader South Dakota state Sen. Billie Sutton rides a horse on his family’s farm in Gregory County. Sutton is paralyzed from the waist down from a 2007 rodeo accident and uses a special saddle with straps to hold him in without the use of his legs to grip the horse’s side.
 ?? James Nord, The Associated Press ?? Sutton poses for a photo with Carrie Wintle during a campaign stop this month in Madison. Sutton is seeking to be the first Democrat elected governor of South Dakota in more than four decades.
James Nord, The Associated Press Sutton poses for a photo with Carrie Wintle during a campaign stop this month in Madison. Sutton is seeking to be the first Democrat elected governor of South Dakota in more than four decades.

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