Dysktra anticipates GOP primary win
He says he's best known, most experienced candidate
By Bret Hayworth Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, May 23, 2008
He's not yet won the Republican Party primary, but Joel Dykstra of Canton, S.D., admits he's already thinking ahead to when he could be the opponent for U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson.
Dykstra, who's held the House District 16 seat in southeast South Dakota for six years, is opposed in the June 3 primary by Sam Kephart of Spearfish and Charles Gonya of Trent. Neither Kephart nor Gonya has previously run for elective office, while Dykstra has won three House elections, and has risen to the assistant majority leader post.
"I'm generally viewed as the prohibitive (GOP) favorite," Dykstra said, because he's "the best known and the most experienced of the candidates." But in the next breath, he said if he advances to the general election against Democrat Johnson, he would be "the distinct underdog."
While South Dakota is a heavily Republican state, the power of incumbency would serve Johnson well, Dykstra said. So he said he's not running a primary campaign, but one geared to the long view in November.
Dykstra noted he was the first candidate to announce he would seek Johnson's position. He said there's a big difference between service in the state legislature and the U.S. Senate, but said the legislature in his tenure has a record of getting things done and added, "I'm a fast study."
A Canton native and Oral Roberts University graduate, Dykstra was critical of the federal government for being shortsighted on energy policy. He worked in the oil industry in Oklahoma and Europe for 19 years through 1999, and said the government shouldn't have complacently relied on low oil prices to be maintained forever.
Now, as Siouxland gas prices moved past $3.75 per gallon Thursday, he said the main thing South Dakotans are talking about is the need for relief at the pump. Dykstra said domestic oil production needs to be expanded and energy from ethanol, wind and soy biodiesel sources should be bumped up as well.
Dykstra said in health care reform, he likes several proposals of presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain, including a $5,000 tax credit for each American family to buy health insurance policies across state lines. He said the "government takeover of health care" that Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama advocate is not supportable, and said free market solutions should be pursued instead.
Regarding Iraq, Dykstra said he would not set a date to pull out U.S. troops. There have been "terrible mistakes in management of the war" since the Iraqi Army was defeated in May 2003, Dykstra said, but "we have to get out in a manner that doesn't forfeit everything we've gained," especially over the last year.
Read more in Hayworth's Politically Speaking blog at www.siouxcityjournal.com/blogs
Dykstra, who's held the House District 16 seat in southeast South Dakota for six years, is opposed in the June 3 primary by Sam Kephart of Spearfish and Charles Gonya of Trent. Neither Kephart nor Gonya has previously run for elective office, while Dykstra has won three House elections, and has risen to the assistant majority leader post.
"I'm generally viewed as the prohibitive (GOP) favorite," Dykstra said, because he's "the best known and the most experienced of the candidates." But in the next breath, he said if he advances to the general election against Democrat Johnson, he would be "the distinct underdog."
While South Dakota is a heavily Republican state, the power of incumbency would serve Johnson well, Dykstra said. So he said he's not running a primary campaign, but one geared to the long view in November.
Dykstra noted he was the first candidate to announce he would seek Johnson's position. He said there's a big difference between service in the state legislature and the U.S. Senate, but said the legislature in his tenure has a record of getting things done and added, "I'm a fast study."
A Canton native and Oral Roberts University graduate, Dykstra was critical of the federal government for being shortsighted on energy policy. He worked in the oil industry in Oklahoma and Europe for 19 years through 1999, and said the government shouldn't have complacently relied on low oil prices to be maintained forever.
Now, as Siouxland gas prices moved past $3.75 per gallon Thursday, he said the main thing South Dakotans are talking about is the need for relief at the pump. Dykstra said domestic oil production needs to be expanded and energy from ethanol, wind and soy biodiesel sources should be bumped up as well.
Dykstra said in health care reform, he likes several proposals of presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain, including a $5,000 tax credit for each American family to buy health insurance policies across state lines. He said the "government takeover of health care" that Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama advocate is not supportable, and said free market solutions should be pursued instead.
Regarding Iraq, Dykstra said he would not set a date to pull out U.S. troops. There have been "terrible mistakes in management of the war" since the Iraqi Army was defeated in May 2003, Dykstra said, but "we have to get out in a manner that doesn't forfeit everything we've gained," especially over the last year.
Read more in Hayworth's Politically Speaking blog at www.siouxcityjournal.com/blogs
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Union County Resident wrote on May 23, 2008 2:02 PM:
He is better suited for being a dictator. "