Katus defeats Schwiesow

By Kevin Woster, Journal Staff Writer | Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Previous Page

Share

• del.icio.us
• Digg
• NewsVine
• Fark

Print

Email

Democrat Tom Katus used a grassroots campaign, a GOP incumbent and momentum from a failed abortion ban to beat Republican Elli Schwiesow on Tuesday in the widely watched District 32 state Senate race.

Katus won 53 percent of the vote to 47 percent for Schwiesow, who had beaten incumbent state Sen. Stan Adelstein in a prickly Republican primary that ended up splitting Schwiesow's GOP base in the general election.

Adelstein endorsed and campaigned for Katus, as the two labeled Schwiesow a political extremist who focused on abortion and related issues rather than jobs, education, health care and taxes. Schwiesow said she tried to project herself as a candidate of diverse interests but agreed that her political fortunes were hooked to the abortion ban, Referred Law 6, which failed Tuesday on a 45 percent to

55 percent vote.

"When I saw the vote on '6' numbers coming in at 45-55, I knew I was in trouble, because I was tied so closely to the ballot issue," Schwiesow said. "You can talk about other issues, but people seemed to focus on that."

Katus said voters saw abortion as Schwiesow's core issue because she made it so, sometimes at the expense of other "meat-and-potato" issues.

"She didn't have much beyond that issue. She never really talked much about what she would do with jobs, education, health care, until up near the end, and she never elaborated," Katus said. "I just don't think she thought through what she wanted to do as a legislator, beyond being strongly, narrowly pro-life."

The Schwiesow-Katus match-up was among the most notable legislative races in the state, in part because it followed her defeat of Adelstein in June. After the loss, Adelstein considered becoming a Democrat and possibly replacing Katus. But Adelstein decided to stay with the GOP and give Katus his endorsement and financial backing.

Katus said before Election Day that he believed he would capture most of the Republican voters who supported Adelstein. And he used his years of grassroots political organization - along with financial help from Adelstein - to reach voters in a strongly Republican District that elected moderate Democrat Mike Wilson several years ago.

"I think this is a district, that if you work hard and go door to door, people will listen," Katus said. "And I think they did."

They listened and voted. And Schwiesow responded with grace when the numbers came in, joining the Katus victory party to offer her congratulations.

"She was very gracious about it," Katus said. "This is what South Dakota is all about, reaching across partisan divides."

Schwiesow said she never considered not making a personal visit to Katus.

"They had a pretty good party going," she said. "I think Tom will be a good legislator. And we'll keep his feet to the fire."

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