Democrat Jamie Smith looks to make South Dakota political history

No Sioux Falls Democrat has ever won gubernatorial race

The South Dakota Democratic Party’s nominee for governor, Jamie Smith, participates in a radio interview with WNAX’s Jerry Oster during an August trip to Yankton. (Joe Sneve / The Dakota Scout)

Jamie Smith knows the deck is stacked against him in South Dakota.

That’s because no Democrat hailing from Sioux Falls has ever been elected to serve as governor of the Mount Rushmore State. 

But that hasn’t stopped the 51-year-old lawmaker, realtor and former educator from taking on the role of what some see as a sacrificial lamb, challenging Gov. Kristi Noem in her bid for re-election.

And with a month left in the 2022 election cycle and some lingering controversies hanging over the first-term governor, Smith says he likes his chances of making history.

“It’s a David and Goliath situation, and it’s not a fair fight,” Smith said while addressing supporters in Yankton this summer. “But I knew that when I got into this, and the support I’ve received has been overwhelming.”