District 35: The race is on, without Napoli

Senate campaigns expected to be kindler, gentler

By Kevin Woster, Journal staff | Sunday, March 30, 2008

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Bill Napoli won't be on the ballot this year in District 35.

That's noteworthy in itself, since Napoli has been a dominant-if-controversial voice in the largely blue-collar district since he joined the South Dakota House in 1995.

With the third-term senator recently announcing he would not seek a fourth term, the District 35 Senate seat is being contested by candidates in both the Republican and Democratic primaries. And while Napoli is gone from the official campaign, he's far from forgotten by those still in the race.

But Democratic candidate Theresa Spry, who lost to Napoli in the 2006 general election for the District 35 Senate seat, said it's hard to forget when news reporters continue to focus on a man who isn't even running for office.

"Is Bill Napoli really gone?" she said. "I think it's truly amazing that somebody who's not going to run gets this much press."

Napoli has been a press magnet during his House and Senate terms, in part because of fiery rhetoric that didn't spare members of his own party, including Gov. Mike Rounds. He has generally been an ally of District 35 Republican state Rep. Jeff Haverly, who now seeks the district's Senate seat and wouldn't mind if voters identified him with the current senator and his work.

"Bill Napoli leaves very large shoes to fill," Haverly said. "He and I didn't agree on everything, but I have the utmost respect for him and what he's done for District 35."'

Haverly is generally seen as the candidate most likely to receive Napoli's support in the campaign and to benefit from their association. But Napoli insists he will not endorse a candidate and is "not going to be involved in any campaigns this year."

There are doubters about that. Spry is one. So is Haverly's opponent in the District 35 GOP Senate primary, former state Rep. Alice McCoy. McCoy lost to Napoli in the 2006 Senate primary and suspects that Napoli will do what he can, on the surface or otherwise, to help Haverly this year.

"How many years have I know the man?" she said of Napoli. "I just have a feeling. But he's the one who can make that decision."

McCoy said she would try to ignore Napoli and focus on key issues of the campaign, handling them in a style she considers to be the opposite from Napoli's.

"I let my actions speak louder than my words," she said. "I'll be a lot less controversial, I'm sure."

Spry said no candidate could be more "un-Napoli" than she is. Without Napoli in the race, other candidates have a better opportunity to focus on issues and less on personalities and controversial comments. Those issues include the continuing need to control property taxes, help fund education and deal with the problems most District 35 residents face being able to afford quality health care.

"The campaign in District 35 probably won't be nearly as colorful this year," Spry said. "I believe all the people running now are pretty level-headed, hard-core working representatives of District 35. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we all just stuck to the issues, instead of fit-throwing?"

Napoli argues that his strong statements and sometimes-rancorous attacks on other state bureaucrats or other Legislators were justified in a world where owners of small businesses and blue-collar wage-earners are often forgotten and abused.

"We've got so many people who are afraid to say anything, afraid to stand up, it's just awful," Napoli said. "I think the people of District 35 always knew I was working for them."

Shane Liebig, the other Democratic candidate in the District 35 Senate primary, said he first got interested in running for the Legislature in 2006, after an especially controversial comment about the abortion issue that Napoli made on a national television news show.

"I'm no Napoli lover, no. That's basically why I decide I wanted to get into this," Liebig said. "I think it was after that stupid comment irritated me."

Liebig, the owner of a business and whose family is well known in the sprint-car racing world, said Napoli seemed to change during his years in Legislature, as many politicians do.

"He was for term limits when he went in, then against them when he was leaving," Liebig said. "I think it's like all politicians who are in there for too long. They get all caught up in it."

Haverly doesn't think the years in Pierre changed Napoli, who could have run for another two-year Senate term before term limits took effect. He said Napoli worked hard, spoke out strongly for his constituents and held on to his personal beliefs while handling difficult legislative duties.

Haverly said he came to admire those qualities in Napoli as they served together.

"We meshed very well," Haverly said. "I can honestly say that I didn't have a lot of love for Bill Napoli when I served on the Rapid City school board. But when I came to Pierre, I got a broader look at who he was and what he did."

This is the list of West River candidates for South Dakota State Senator and State Representative

State Senate

District 26

Democrats: Julie Bartling

Republicans: John Koskan

District 27

Democrats: Jim Bradford, Theresa B. Two Bulls

Republicans: Craig L. Hanrahan

District 28

Democrats: Ryan M. Maher

Republicans: Les Wolff

District 29

Democrats: Dennis Levin

Republicans: Nick Trask, Larry Rhoden

District 30

Democrats: Charles Jonathan Easterby

Republicans: Gordon R. Pederson, Gordon Howie

District 31

Democrats: Nyla Griffith

Republicans: Thomas R. Nelson, Tom Hills, John E. Teupel

District 32

Democrats: Thomas M. Katus

Republicans: Stan Adelstein

District 33

Democrats: Dennis W. Finch

Republicans: Dennis R. Schmidt, Michael T. Buckingham

District 34

Democrats: Gary L. Hargens

Republicans: Dennis Popp, Craig Tieszen

District 35

Democrats: Theresa Spry, Shane Liebig

Republicans: Alice McCoy, Jeffrey K. Haverly

State House



District 26A

Democrats: Paul Joseph, Larry J. Lucas, Calvin G. Jones Jr.

Republicans: Kathy Chauncey

District 26B

Democrats: Thomas J. Glover

Republicans: Kim Vannerman

District 27

Democrats: Robert A. Fogg Jr., Joseph L. White Bear Claws, Ed Iron Cloud III, Kevin Killer

Republicans: Mark DeVries, Dawn M. Rasmussen

District 28A

Democrats: Richard Aacher, Dean Schrempp

Republicans: Everett Hunt

District 28B

Democrats: None

Republicans: Betty Olson

District 29

Democrats: Fred McPherson, Pam Chalkley

Republicans: Thomas J. Brunner, Gail Arnold, Dean Wink

District 30

Democrats: Jacqueline Gerenz, David Melmer

Republicans: Lance S. Russell, Don Young, Mike Verchio, Galen Niederwerder, Dick Brown

District 31

Democrats: Kevin W. O'Dea

Republicans: Brandon D. Flanagan, Fred W. Romkema, Charles M. Turbiville

District 32

Democrats: Eric Abrahamson, Bethany Wojahn

Republicans: Brian Gosch, Brian Dreyer

District 33

Democrats: Kimberly Henderson, Gary Loudner, Jeff Nelsen

Republicans: Dale Gunderson, Phil Jensen, Jacqueline Sly, Ken Davis

District 34

Democrats: Lisa F. Cook, Johanna M. Blume

Republicans: Ed McLaughlin, David Lust

District 35

Democrats: Fern Y. Johnson, Curtis R. Marquardt

Republicans: Don Kopp, Mark Kirkeby, Terry Batchelder

Contact Kevin Woster at 394-8413 or kevin.woster@rapidcityjournal.com.