Marty Jackley’s campaign for governor is announcing a new batch of endorsements from current and former mayor’s, state legislators, and community leaders.
His opponent, Kristi Noem, says those endorsements show her opponent will maintain the status quo.
The son of former four term governor Bill Janklow calls the onslaught of attack ads toward Marty Jackley’s governor race unprecedented.
Russ Janklow calls the negative campaign a character assassination.
Janklow is one of 20 former Sioux Falls mayors, former and current state legislators, and party leaders to endorse Jackley for governor.
Jackley says Washington style campaigning is not acceptable in South Dakota. He says negative advertising from the Noem campaign is backfiring.
“You’re seeing it today with such strong community leaders being vocal about… what we want in a leader in South Dakota is somebody that’s positive, that has South Dakota experience and can work with all of us to create solutions,” Jackley says. “Not just somebody to just make up lies or say or do anything to get elected.”
Jackley’s opposition, the Kristi Noem campaign issued a statement following the announcement saying the group of endorsements Jackley assembled points out the difference between campaigns. The Noem campaign calls Jackley a “government lawyer who will maintain the status quo that led to scandals, mismanagement and million-dollar settlements.”
The campaign then points to the Congresswoman as a farmer, rancher and small business owner who understands “the struggles normal South Dakotans face.”
The primary election is on Tuesday.