Former SD Sec. of State Endorses Shantel Krebs

I heard earlier today that former South Dakota Secretary of State Chris Nelson had endorsed South Dakota Senator Shantel Krebs in her bid for Secretary of State in the 2014 GOP primary.

Then I came home to find a letter from Krebs in the mail, touting that endorsement:

Last year Shantel Krebs took a bold step announcing that she was running for Secretary of State in order to provide strong leadership needed for that office. Since that announcement I’ve had numerous conversations with Shantel about her candidacy.

Shantel knows that providing outstanding customer service is one of the most important aspects of being Secretary of State. She understands the importance of managing the election process in a non-partisan, unbiased manner while working in a team manner with county auditors across the state. Shantel knows that competent management involves seeking input from others to form the best solutions for the people of South Dakota.

I have become convinced that she is committed to improving the Secretary of State’s office and has the passion and ability to accomplish that goal. For that reason I offer my endorsement of her candidacy to be the next Republican Secretary of State for the great state of South Dakota.

For reasons I won’t go into here and now, I’ve been debating for some time whether to support Krebs or Pat Miller.  I’ll continue to consider the decision carefully, especially in light of any new information which may come to my attention, but Chris Nelson’s endorsement carries a lot of weight with me.

Nelson was, in my opinion, the epitome of what a Secretary of State should be. He was very competent, professional, and was the example of nonpartisanship that the office needs to maintain its integrity.

The current office holder, Jason Gant, failed miserably in that last regard–applying a double-standard for favored candidates and against non-favored ones, as well as endorsing candidates (the SOS should be completely unbiased and above reproach in that regard. Under his leadership, the office began to make South Dakota favor some Third World banana republic where elections are rigged for favored candidates and against ones the establishment doesn’t like.  I’ll give Gant props for moving the office into the 21st Century technology-wise–he’s made great improvements there–but the importance of that pales in comparison to the perception of integrity required for the office.

I sincerely hope whoever wins the election understands that thoroughly.

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Bob Ellis has been the owner of media company Dakota Voice, LLC since 2005. He is a 10-year U.S. Air Force veteran, a political reporter and commentator for the past decade, and has been involved in numerous election and public policy campaigns for over 20 years. He was a founding member and board member of the Tea Party groups Citizens for Liberty and the South Dakota Tea Party Alliance. He lives in Rapid City, South Dakota with his wife and two children.

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