A Changing of the Guard
Dave Kranz was reporting this week that there are going to be several legislative incumbents term limited out after this coming legislative session:
Read it all here.
I'm not sure I ever liked the idea of term limits, because I'm one of those who liked the stability and decorum of the prior system. I always thought that legislators should be voted out if they aren't doing their job, not removed by government mandate.
But that's not my point in writing this. The Senate dynamic is going to change drastically after this next regular session, with Senate Majority Leader Eric Bogue being term limited out, as well as Garry Moore on the other side of the aisle.
Speaking of sides of the aisle and slightly related to the subject - Here's a quick trivia question - are there more Democrats in the Senate Democratic Caucus, or do MAINstream Moderates in the Senate Republican Caucus hold the advantage in numbers?
Alice McCoy has already put Bill Napoli on notice that she's going to "bring it" in a race for his seat at the table in the Senate (second section in that article). And since Ted Klaudt is termed out on the House side, I anticipate we'll see him run for the Bogue seat. The question would remain as to whether or not Bogue flips chambers at the same time. Coincidentally, you have that same situation with Moore and Michels, especially with Michels reportedly eyeing higher office. Also according to Dave Kranz...
Should Representative Michels run for Moore's seat and remain in the public eye? Or should he take a step back and tend to things at home for a few years before embarking on a statewide campaign. The risk in flipping chambers is going from a position of prestige and authority in the House to being a lower man on the totem pole in the Senate. And the Senate is an entirely different game.
I consider the Senate much more headstrong, and willing to stake out it's own turf on positions that don't always coincide with those of the administration, creating conflict. Not to mention that there's always the possibility that in the coming years there are issues that may come up that are ugly and divisive. K-12 school funding, new forms of revenue, abortion. Who knows what lies out there in the coming years. Get on the wrong side of an issue, and a once rising career can be gone in a puff of smoke.
In flipping chambers, it's a crapshoot. Cream will always rise to the top. But a once golden candidate can also be tarnished by circumstances beyond their control.
Answer to the Trivia Question? Dems have the edge, but I made you think. There are 10 Senate Democrats. Seven Republican Senators: Ed Olson, Stan Adelstein, Royal "Mac" McCracken, J.P. Duniphan, Duane Sutton, Tom Dempster and Dave Knudson were counted as some of the mainstream founders in an article in the Rapid City Journal.
Senate Majority Leader Eric Bogue, R-Faith, Senate Minority Leader Garry Moore, D-Yankton, and House Speaker Matt Michels, R-Yankton, are term-limited after completing their fourth consecutive term and cannot run for re-election.
Others in that situation are Reps. Art Fryslie, R-Willow Lake; Cooper Garnos, R- Presho; Tom Hennies, R-Rapid City; Ted Klaudt, R-Walker; Alice McCoy, R-Rapid City; and Lou Sebert, R-Mitchell.
Read it all here.
I'm not sure I ever liked the idea of term limits, because I'm one of those who liked the stability and decorum of the prior system. I always thought that legislators should be voted out if they aren't doing their job, not removed by government mandate.
But that's not my point in writing this. The Senate dynamic is going to change drastically after this next regular session, with Senate Majority Leader Eric Bogue being term limited out, as well as Garry Moore on the other side of the aisle.
Speaking of sides of the aisle and slightly related to the subject - Here's a quick trivia question - are there more Democrats in the Senate Democratic Caucus, or do MAINstream Moderates in the Senate Republican Caucus hold the advantage in numbers?
Alice McCoy has already put Bill Napoli on notice that she's going to "bring it" in a race for his seat at the table in the Senate (second section in that article). And since Ted Klaudt is termed out on the House side, I anticipate we'll see him run for the Bogue seat. The question would remain as to whether or not Bogue flips chambers at the same time. Coincidentally, you have that same situation with Moore and Michels, especially with Michels reportedly eyeing higher office. Also according to Dave Kranz...
Michels is weighing a bid for U.S. House in 2006 or governor in 2010.
Should Representative Michels run for Moore's seat and remain in the public eye? Or should he take a step back and tend to things at home for a few years before embarking on a statewide campaign. The risk in flipping chambers is going from a position of prestige and authority in the House to being a lower man on the totem pole in the Senate. And the Senate is an entirely different game.
I consider the Senate much more headstrong, and willing to stake out it's own turf on positions that don't always coincide with those of the administration, creating conflict. Not to mention that there's always the possibility that in the coming years there are issues that may come up that are ugly and divisive. K-12 school funding, new forms of revenue, abortion. Who knows what lies out there in the coming years. Get on the wrong side of an issue, and a once rising career can be gone in a puff of smoke.
In flipping chambers, it's a crapshoot. Cream will always rise to the top. But a once golden candidate can also be tarnished by circumstances beyond their control.
Answer to the Trivia Question? Dems have the edge, but I made you think. There are 10 Senate Democrats. Seven Republican Senators: Ed Olson, Stan Adelstein, Royal "Mac" McCracken, J.P. Duniphan, Duane Sutton, Tom Dempster and Dave Knudson were counted as some of the mainstream founders in an article in the Rapid City Journal.
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