Patricia Stricherz: Testing the Republican Big Tent?

Back in March, I posted about the full slate for the District 8 South Dakota State House race. I highlighted the second GOP candidate to enter the race, Patricia Stricherz of Dell Rapids. I lamented the paucity of information about her available online (although her fellow Republican Jerry Johnson and Dems Gerry Lange and Mitch Fargen have yet to establish much online presence, either -- send those links, fellas!).

Over the past couple days, Stricherz supporters and Stricherz herself have obliged with some helpful information about the candidate. Among the highlights:

...[Stricherz] and her husband have been foster parents in Brookings county prior to Jay's deployment to Iraq, Patricia has also been a CASA volunteer since 2002, sworn in by Honorable Rodney Steele, Patricia worked as a paralegal before deciding to attend college at USF for Social Work. She also has taken in homeless teens and has helped them to get their feet planted on solid ground, she is a very devote Christian and stands by her values ["Anonymous" -- according to Stricherz, actually her daughter Mimi -- 2008.05.21].

she is tossed on the hyperion oil refinery that is being considered in Elk Point. She lived in Cheyenne Wy. as a teenager and has said a number of times that the smell was unbearable, the cancer/population ratio within a 60 mile radius is high, and she doesn't want that for South Dakota...

...[Stricherz] would like to see the oil companies be given a cap as to how much they can charge the public for fuel...

She is also concerned about the pipeline coming through S.D. for several reasons, safety to community and environment, and eminent domain issues.

...she believes that education is vital for our children and would like to see more Masters programs in the state [ed: don't let Sibby hear that: he'll think Stricherz is trying to create more secular humanists...]

...BIG on veterans issues, huge advocate for human rights, and has a desire to start a non-profit organization to assist low income families with transportation issues. [Anon/Mimi, 2008.05.22]

Now certainly veterans issues and human rights are non-partisan issues. But the statements on Hyperion, eminent domain for TransCanada, and fuel price caps would seem to distance Ms. Stricherz from Governor Rounds, Rep. Dykstra, and the other Big Oil boosters in the Republican Party. Does the South Dakota GOP have room for such progressive thinking?