District 35 represents the blue-collar people of Rapid City. They generally work hard for their paychecks, are family oriented and want efficiency in government. Taking on the task of representing this community for its single Senate seat are Theresa Spry and Jeff Haverly. The House race includes Democrats Fern Johnson and Curtis Marquardt and Republican incumbent Mark Kirkeby and Republican candidate Don Kopp.

SENATE

Jeff Haverly

For Haverly, 49, campaigning for the Senate seat is new ground. He has represented the district for six years in the House, but the small business owner and former military man is now choosing to run for the state Senate.

"I enjoy serving my state and District 35. I feel I can make a difference. I want to leave a state that is good for my kid and other kids. I feel sometimes that isn't being done," he said.

Since April, Haverly, his wife and daughter have been listening to residents' concerns as the poor economy continues.

"I think their No. 1 concern is keeping government out of their hair," Haverly said.

Of all people within the state, the people of District 35 understand their role as taxpayers, but they are not going to fund superfluous programs and initiatives, and they will not stand for a government that will waste its resources.

They have concerns for their children and what their children are going to do in the future. Haverly has made an effort in the past six years to champion the cause of the technical institutes, so they have a good governing structure and proper funding. These schools, such as Western Dakota Technical Institute, can then provide options for students who can learn necessary work skills.

"My main focus will be to represent people of District 35 to the best of my ability. Not only represent them, but continue my efforts in work force development in the state of South Dakota," he said.

Theresa Spry

Democrat Theresa Spry, a health educator, family-planning counselor and home health-care worker, was motivated to bring another voice and perspective to Pierre in her bid for the Senate. "I think we need a balance in our Legislature and in the makeup of state government. I don't see that happening in District 35," she said.

A lifelong advocate, Spry, 58, has worked as a lobbyist and belonged to a variety of community organizations dealing with health care and education for the past 12 years. She knows the process and has experience in Pierre.

"Last year, I was probably in Pierre 15 days dealing with issues about the environment, mining, women's health care and drug and alcohol issues," she said.

During campaigning, Spry said she's heard worries about education, school budget cuts the rising price of gas, groceries and the national economic issues.

If elected, Spry would focus on education, health care and pursuit of developing alternative energy sources like neighboring states.

"Energy is definitely one thing I would to focus on besides the problems of District 35," she said.

South Dakota has the potential to generate 1 million megawatts of wind energy than what the state is able to produce now. This would include resources for solar energy, hydro, geothermal, natural gas and biofuels.

"We have the potential to do that. When generating that energy, it will generate new jobs, technology, manufacturing and it all will provide revenues. Those revenues would pay for the creation of the energy itself and new businesses," she said.

HOUSE

Curtis Marquardt

Democratic hopeful Marquardt, 27, has lived in South Dakota for about four years. In that time, working as a cook, he discovered the hard reality of living paycheck to paycheck while trying to heat his home, keep groceries on the table and fuel his car.

"I wanted to run as a blue-collar worker because of issues that affect me and people like me, such as health care and education," he said.

Whenever he's off from work, he and friends comb the neighborhoods asking for votes, dropping off literature and discussing the issues of concern.

"The main things have been the economy and then health care … School funding problems have been something I heard quite a bit about," he said.

If elected, Marquardt would like to focus on raising the minimum wage, bettering workers compensation, education funding and introducing legislation on child care programs for single parents and low-income families.

Fern Johnson

Democrat Johnson, 51, and self-employed, is the founder of the South Dakota Injured Workers Coalition. She worked three years in Pierre, where she helped enact two laws.

Her district has conveyed a variety of concerns about health care, education, wages, jobs and property taxes.

Johnson said it is pretty easy to blindly spend someone else's money or ask for more when you haven't experienced how hard it was to earn that money.

"It's unacceptable to constantly be raising property taxes. I want to go through the state budget, line by line to see what is wasted," she said.

If elected, her focus would be on finding sustainable solutions, because education, health care and alternative energy all affect residents' lives and the state's economy.

"We're going to need strong leaders with determination and dedication," she said. "That's my drive, that's my focus. I look for a solution and go after it."

Mark Kirkeby

The incumbent representative, Republican Kirkeby, 48, has felt a passion for his community and for the people of his district.

"You certainly have to like your job, and I'm blessed with an employer who allows me to do the business for the citizens of the great state of South Dakota," said the development director at the Salvation Army.

He said the people in the district have told him their No. 1 concern is the state of the economy. They don't want the state to raise taxes, but rather prioritize its programs, tighten its spending and live within its means, he said.

"Everything continues to go up but our wages," Kirkeby said. "You have to prioritize what you can spend."

If elected, he would focus on the youths of the state. Education, health care, and public and private safety need to be addressed, which will keep them in the state, he said.

Don Kopp

Republican Kopp, 66, is a forestry consultant who sees energy development as a rising issue for the state.

Energy costs, for vehicles and homes, are among the issues district residents have discussed while citing fears of rising taxes, job losses and businesses operating on thin margins, he said.

If elected, he would like to focus on education, health care and taxation, and particularly development of domestic energy sources. That will draw in high-paying jobs, develop new technologies and create new revenues.

"We as a nation and state need to become energy independent," Kopp said.

He has some ideas that go beyond ethanol production from wood and agriculture products.

"If we could get nuclear power into the state, we could produce an endless supply of energy at a relatively low cost," he said. Once the plant went online, it would pay for itself, he said.

Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com.