South Dakota
Female Legislators in MN At Record High; IA, WI, and SD Lag Behind National Average
Minnesota voters set a record in November 2006 by electing the highest percentage of female legislators to both the state House (43, 32.1 percent) and Senate (27, 40.3 percent) in Gopher State history. Overall, at 34.8 percent, Minnesota ranks 4th…
Read MoreSouth Dakota Abortion Policy Update
One week after the South Dakota House of Representatives easily passed a bill banning most abortions in the state, a similar abortion ban bill died in committee in the state Senate. The House recently passed a ban outlawing all…
Read MoreCensuring the Media’s Censure Coverage of SD Senator-Page Scandal
On Wednesday the South Dakota State Senate voted 32-2 to censure Democratic Senator Dan Sutton, in the wake of allegations that Sutton groped a male page in a hotel room in 2006. While the charges are disturbing in and…
Read MoreA Long Political Half-Life: Abortion Politics in South Dakota
South Dakota’s House of Representatives appears likely to take up the issue of abortion once again in its new 2007 legislative session. The GOP-led state legislature already passed a ban in its last session, which was signed by Republican…
Read MoreUpper Midwestern US Senators React to State of the Union Address
Several U.S. Senators from the Upper Midwest have released official statements in reaction to President George W. Bush’s seventh State of the Union Address from last night. Republican Charles Grassley of Iowa stated he was impressed with Bush’s overall leadership…
Read MoreUpper Midwestern Republican Senators Weigh in on Bush Iraq Plan
Two more Upper Midwestern U.S. Senators—both Republicans—have released statements in response to President Bush’s new plan outlined in a national address earlier this week. South Dakota junior senator John Thune acknowledged the need for change in Iraq, stated winning in…
Read MoreFord Ran Successful Upper Midwest Presidential Campaign in 1976
The passing of our 38th President Gerald Ford prompted Smart Politics to take a look at his 1976 presidential campaign in the Upper Midwest—and the close races he faced with Jimmy Carter that year. Richard Nixon—who had nearly swept the…
Read MoreSD Senior Senator Recovering in Hospital
South Dakota Democratic Senator Tim Johnson was admitted to George Washington University Hospital on Wednesday for an undetermined illness. Early reports speculated Johnson, who is 59, had suffered a stroke, but physicians have said Johnson did not experience either…
Read MoreGubernatorial Approval Ratings Rise Noticeably After Elections
Approval ratings for all four Upper Midwest governors rose noticeably in polls conducted by SurveyUSA directly after Election Day (November 8-11). All three incumbent governors on the ballot in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and South Dakota were victorious, and the Democrats retained…
Read MoreSmart Politics Scorecard, Part II: State Legislative Roundup
The Democratic party scored big wins across Upper Midwest state legislatures on Tuesday night. As projected here at Smart Politics, the Democrats picked up seats in all 8 chambers and took control of three of them: the Iowa House, Wisconsin…
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