SD: US Senate Election Degenerates into Sham

From Ballot Access News:

This South Dakota newspaper story focuses on the fact that U.S. Senator John Thune, a Republican, has no opponents on the November ballot.  No Democrat filed to run for U.S. Senate this year. The Constitution Party is on the ballot in South Dakota, but it did not run anyone for U.S. Senate either.  Whether the party’s candidate for Governor will be on the ballot depends on the outcome of the party’s ballot access case that is being heard in federal court on July 15. No independent candidate qualified in South Dakota for U.S. Senate this year, and the petition deadline was June 8

SD: Editorial Calls for Openness to Voices Outside the Two-Party System

From the Press and Dakotan:

An independent candidate for South Dakota’s lone U.S. House seat stopped by the Press & Dakotan last Friday. The interview had been arranged a couple of days before that, and so we prepared to meet him for the very first time. But in the back of our minds, we couldn’t help but think that he already had two strikes against him.

Such assumptions reflect the problems that candidates like B. Thomas Marking from Custer face as they make their lonely runs for office. And they are literally lonely: Unlike the candidates from the two major parties, independent hopefuls always show up for interviews without an assistant in tow to record what is said and keep the candidate on a tight schedule.

The aforementioned two strikes arise from the deeply ingrained two-party mentality that dominates our political culture. We have become so conditioned to choose one or the other that most of us give little thought to considering any variations.

But in an election cycle when incumbents are clearly an endangered species, you have to wonder if perhaps it’s time to look at the two-party system in general as an incumbent in need of a wakeup call.

 Read the whole thing.

SD: Independent to Enter Race for US House

From WKRG: 

Pierre, South Dakota - B. Thomas Marking of Custer said Friday he is running as an independent for South Dakota's lone seat in the U.S. House because Republicans and Democrats are too busy fighting each other to solve the nation's problems.Marking, 61, also said if he is elected, he would set up an Internet system that would enable South Dakotans to express their opinions on top issues. He would base his votes in Congress on the results of those Internet polls."I think a big part of the frustration out there is the feeling that people have lost control over their lives. Maybe this is a way to give them a sense they still have some of that," Marking told The Associated Press.

SD: Independent to Enter Senate Race to Challenge Republican Thune

Looks like the SD Senate race will not be a one man show after all.  From Ross Levin at IPR:

Independent, and former Libertarian candidate, Kurt Evans will be running for Senate against Senator John Thune, a Republican.  The deadline has passed for South Dakota Democrats to put someone on the ballot, but the deadline for independents to get on the ballot is in June.

SD Senate Race: Two-Party State Continues to Devolve into One-Party State

From the Daily Republic:

U.S. Sen. John Thune, RS.D., made state history this week when no Democrat filed to run against him by Tuesday’s deadline. Thune now has the distinction of being the first U.S. Senate candidate from South Dakota to run without majorparty opposition since direct election of senators began in 1913. He’ll be the first Senate candidate in state history to run without any opposition whatsoever if no independent candidates enter the race by their June 8 deadline.