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District 8 State Senate:
Votes: 141
District 8 State House (voters pick 2!)
Votes: 137
Russell Olson | 70 (50%) |
Clark Schmidtke | 71 (50%) |
District 8 State House (voters pick 2!)
Mitch Fargen | 79 (58%) |
Gerald Lange | 47 (34%) |
Patricia Stricherz | 20 (15%) |
Jason Bjorklund | 69 (50%) |
As usual, margin of error on a Madville Times poll is roughly equivalent to how far Russ's average drive from the tee. But what might we read in these numbers?
We might deduce that the younger candidates have an advantage in Internet polling. But my man Clark has a good 20 years on Russ, and he still managed to tie the incumbent with a quick get-out-the-vote campaign. Keep knocking on those doors, Clark!
Glenn Beck fans are not of one mind. Jason Bjorklund's most significant political activity has been organizing the Madison branch of South Dakota's 9-12 clubs. Patricia Stricherz has attended those 9-12 meetings. Bjorklund broadcasts Glenn Beck's 9-12 credo on his campaign website; Stricherz has sworn her allegiance to said principles on this blog. Yet Bjorklund gets more than triple the support Stricherz does among the readers of this fair blog. Are the Glenn Becksters in our midst divided? Or could the Madville Times readership actually skew Independent?
The Senate numbers haven't moved much since I conducted the Lake County Dems straw poll at the end of July. On the House side, Fargen stayed on top, while the Bjorklund surprise got even stronger. Evidently Gerry's friends are much more likely to walk up to a Dems table downtown, while Bjorklund's boosters are much more Web inclined.
We know anyone taking on Russ faces an uphill battle against one of the biggest campaign war chests in the Legislature. Mitch looks safe: he's young, he's likable, and as far as I know, the only thing he's done to torque anyone off is co-sponsoring the Blog Control Acts (and I might be the only person in District 8 who noticed). Patty has yet to show any sign of advantage built from being a GOP standard-bearer in 2008. The real battle in the House may be for second place between veteran Gerry and the crafty and motivated Jason. Bjorklund is clearly getting a jump on hustle: he beat all of the District 8 candidates to getting billboards up around Madison, and we saw Bjorklund signs up on Highways 25 and 37 on the way to the State Fair. Bjorklund's hustling; it's time for the rest to catch up!
Stay tuned for more polls, including the only surveys and analysis anywhere on our local races!
I think you nailed it on the head with Gerry's supporters not so likley to be playing around on the interweb tubes. Something tells me he will do alright on the Nov 2nd poll though.
ReplyDeleteWhat's next? Sheriff? County Commissioners? Auditor? Fun to watch.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you admit the wide margin of error in your poll since anyone can delete their cookies and vote numerous times in a short period on one computer.
Russell Olson will garner over 70% on November 2nd.
Deleting cookies? Multiple voting? Heavens forfend! Have you no faith in my good readers to play fair and seek the most honest poll results possible? :-)
ReplyDeleteCory,
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to clarify, that I have attended exactly two 9-12 meetings, ever. One in Madison and one in Mitchell, both I was invited to attend.
As a people, when we see something we do not agree with or find something we stand for and believe in, we will find a way to get involved.
Some become doctors, nurses or teachers while others get involved with a specific group or club, I am more of a person that really likes to take care of others. Operation Homefront is where my heart lies. It is in this way I have found that I can be of good service to others.
However, I feel that I must broaden my call to service to include all families in South Dakota and not vocus on anyone group.
When I ran for state house in 2008 I completely misrepresented myself. As I look back there were things I said that I now find shameful & embarrassing. Why I was running was unclear to me then and I did not run as an honest, truthful candidate.
Unlike some that choose to pursue the political field to bask in the limelight, think it is all about power or to throw their name into the ring as an attempt to prove themselves to a group of people, I am running this race simply because I care about our state and our families.
With age comes wisdom!
God Bless!
Patricia Stricherz