How S.D. politicians are trying to turn an impeachment 'Witch Hunt' into campaign cash
South Dakota's candidates are eyeing the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump's activities with Ukraine to boost their campaign support.
Campaigns for Gov. Kristi Noem and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson recently sent out fundraising letters asking donors to side with President Donald Trump against the "radical left" and the "Witch Hunt."
Rob Skjonsberg, spokesman for U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds' potential 2020 campaign, believes the impeachment inquiry will energize Republicans and Independents to support Trump in South Dakota, and they'll be passionate about turning out to reelect him as president.
That energy will transfer to candidates who support Trump in 2020, Skjonsberg said. He predicts that Democratic candidates who support the resistance movement against Trump will see a problem at the ballot box in 2020.
"I think it's going to be good for us, and I think it's going to drive small dollar donations," he said.
Dan Ahlers, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, is focused on running an issue-based campaign and shies away from commenting on the impeachment inquiry. He said he knows from his legislative experience that work doesn't get done when people are too polarized to be able to talk to each other.
"There's so much partisanship going on right now on both sides," Ahlers said. "I do worry about the polarizing it's doing to the electorate, to the citizens, just from the aspect of the ability to get along."
Candidates: Donate and 'defeat the radical left'
"Defeat the radical left" by donating to Noem's 2022 gubernatorial campaign, a recent letter read from Kristi For Governor.
"The (House Speaker Nancy) Pelosi socialists and the left-wing media are throwing 'everything but the kitchen sink' at President Trump, desperately trying to destroy his ability to lead our nation!" the campaign wrote in its fundraising letter.
The campaign for Dusty Johnson, who hasn't formally announced his 2020 reelection bid, asked supporters in his fundraising letter to remember "the D.C. Democrats are not just trying to impeach President Trump, they are trying to discredit his entire agenda and demoralize conservative patriots like you."
Although his letter began with a couple lines about impeachment, Dusty Johnson's multi-page letter delved into his conservative work in Congress, which he told the Argus Leader is important to also highlight.
"Impeachment is one of the most divisive things a country can go through, and it stands in the way of all that important work getting across the finish line," he said.
Josh Shields, Noem's chief of staff and campaign advisor, said Trump has the support of Noem and many South Dakotans who are "fed up" with the status quo.
"The 2016 election is over and Donald Trump is president," he said.
Impeachment messages keep voters engaged
The impeachment may galvanize Republicans more than usual going into the 2020 election, but Republicans and Democrats in South Dakota aren't monolithic in how they view the impeachment hearings, and there may be differing opinions about the impeachment within each party, said Joel Johnson, chair of Augustana University's Political Science Department.
However, the impeachment inquiry is providing an opportunity for both political parties to keep their bases engaged and interested in donating, he said.
"One reason to proceed, on the Democratic side, with impeachment is it gets your base connected, energetic, wanting to see something happening," he said. "They're paying attention. If you're on the other side, if you're a Donald Trump supporter, you see this as an opportunity to give money to support the reelection campaign, to vote for other Republicans for House races and Senate races."