S.D. GOP candidate won't commit to supporting Boehner

Kristi Noem, a top GOP recruit running against Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.), on Wednesday would not commit to voting for House Republican leader John Boehner (Ohio) should she be elected to Congress.

If Republicans take control of the House in the Nov. 2 midterm elections, Boehner is widely seen as the likely candidate to be the next Speaker.

"There could be several people running,” Noem told the editorial board of the Argus Leader when asked about Boehner. "If there was another person that was running that represented South Dakota better, and more with South Dakota’s industries and interests and values, I certainly would support them, too."

Noem isn't alone in being noncommittal about Boehner as the potential leader of a Republican majority — Texas's Bill Flores and Virginia's Scott Rigell both have to declined support the Ohio Republican outright. 

A growing number of Democratic incumbents and candidates have also said they will not back House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for another term if they are elected.

Herseth Sandlin has distanced herself from the Speaker during her campaign. In an interview Wednesday with the Argus Leader, she would not commit to voting for Pelosi in the next Congress if she is reelected.

The race for South Dakota's only House seat has been one of the most highly watched in the country. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report considers the race a toss-up.

---