Good evening, District 27. It is finally here – the eve before the General Election. It was thirteen months ago from today when I made my official announcement that I was running for District 27 state senate. This has been a full-time job. I have met so many people across this district which is the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined.
In January, I told my mom this is not a sprint, but a marathon. That is what this senate race has been for me…a steady pace that crescendos at the end. This “marathon” senate race reminds me of when I ran my first and only marathon on September 29, 1996, in Portland, Oregon, at the age of 27. I had put in approximately 20 weeks of consistent running from May to September, steadily building up miles to establish a foundation of endurance to get me across the finish line. I will never forget that day when I ran it. I felt goosebumps on my back as I saw the finish line within view. I knew that my training had properly prepared me to finish it. If any of you have ever run a marathon, you know that the critical mile marker is at 18 miles where one “hits the wall” and begins to cramp up and cannot finish the race, or one simply runs out of stamina and cannot continue on because all of your energy is expended on the first 18 miles that you have no more “gas in the tank” to finish the remaining 8+ miles. These are the consequences of a lack of conditioning, foresight, and strategic planning – taking things slow and easy and not outpacing oneself.
When I ran my marathon, I had three goals in mind that I wanted to accomplish: 1. To finish the race, 2. To finish in under four hours, and 3. To qualify for the Boston Marathon. I achieved two of the three goals but did not qualify for the Boston Marathon because the first two miles took me over 21 minutes to complete because of all the jockeying for positions on a crowded street with thousands of runners. I failed to take this into consideration when I lined up at the starting gate amongst the runners in my bracket who ran a similar 6+ minute mile pace. My lack of awareness regarding this matter cost me a ticket to the Boston Marathon. Nonetheless, I ran the marathon in 03:51:10 (under four hours). An accomplishment that I am proud of considering it was my first marathon and had no coach to properly train me. I used a published training manual to learn how to run a marathon.
Why do I share this story with you? Because running in this senate race is very similar to a marathon in that you have to be disciplined and have a steady hand throughout its duration. You have to surround yourself with good people who will provide you with sound advice and not let the opposition tear you down or quit out of fear. Were there days when I asked myself, “Why bother?” or “Why did I get into this race?” Sure, but every day the Lord assured me that this was his plan for me. He steadily guided me throughout the process and revealed many signs along the way.
As I mentioned in previous blog posts, I am not a politician. This is my first political campaign. I knew very little about how to even run a campaign race, but as time progressed, the Lord put the right people in my path to get me across the finish line. I am forever thankful for all those people that he brought to my attention. I could not have done it without them. They know who they are.
To put this campaign in perspective here are several stats that I want to share with you as to my commitment toward this campaign since my official announcement of entering the race on October 4, 2023:
Miles driven: 6,515.5 miles
Jumbo Signs put up: 59
Yard Signs put up: 82
T-posts pounded into the ground to support jumbo signs: 124
Feet of 14-gage wire to hang jumbo signs: 3,524 feet
Parades attended: 9
Flying discs distributed to kids and adults in parades: 575
Blog postings since January 12, 2024: 253
Rack cards handed out or delivered to homes: 875
Text Messages Delivered: 2,235
Online Ad Impressions Delivered: 71,861
City Council Meetings Attended: 4
County Commissioner Meetings Attended: 4
School Board Meetings Attended: 5
Library Meetings Attended: 1
Church-related Events/Fundraisers: 5
Annual Meetings, Conferences, Briefings, and Cracker Barrel Sessions: 5
Annual VFD Smokers, Hog Roasts, and Pancake Feeds: 5
Candidate Forums: 3
Other Informational Meetings and Events: 7
Hours Sign-Waving: 19
Sign-Wave Locations: 5
In-kind (non-reimbursable) funds expended out of my own pocket: $5,729.65
As one can see, I have put a lot of time and resources into trying to earn your vote. I have been honest, transparent, disciplined, and steady as described in the majority of my blog posts so that you, the voter, can make an informed decision. It is my hope that in the words of Saint Paul, I have demonstrated to you that I have “run in such a way as to get the prize” (1 Cor 9:24). Having said that, it is my hope that I can have a final victory lap tomorrow night when the election results are posted online. Win or lose, I have done my best and that is all anyone can ask for. I have done the heavy lifting for thirteen months. Now it is in your hands – the voters – to determine if I am worthy of representing you in the South Dakota State Senate in the 100th Legislative Session in Pierre beginning January 14, 2025. God bless.
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