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South Dakota state Rep. Joel Dykstra (R) has officially entered the race for the Republican nomination to face Sen. Tim Johnson (D) in 2008. Dykstra filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday and declared himself a “candidate for U.S. Senate.” “I am very appreciative of the encouragement that I have received in my exploration of a run for the U.S. Senate,” Dykstra said. “My family and I are humbled by the expressions of support we have received from many people from across the state.” Dykstra is the first major candidate to enter the race and could open the door to others who might have been hesitant to pursue bids against Johnson, who is still recovering from a brain hemorrhage suffered in December. Johnson raised about $600,000 in the second quarter with help from his Democratic colleagues, according to a fundraising e-mail. He has a solid head start despite the health problems that have kept him away from the Senate all year. Johnson has not indicated whether he will seek a third term in the Senate. Other possible Republican candidates include state public utilities commissioner Dusty Johnson. Dykstra was elected to the state House in 2002 and has served as assistant majority leader. He is from Canton, S.D., and worked for nearly 20 years in the oil industry before becoming CEO of an international business consulting company — a job he currently holds. “It’s clear that the voters of South Dakota have become increasingly interested in the race for U.S. Senate in their state, and we are happy to see that a number of South Dakota Republicans are interested in the seat,” said Rebecca Fisher, a spokeswoman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. National Democrats deemed Dykstra unfit for the Senate. “Once again, the Republican party has turned to the fringes of the far right to find a candidate for Senate,” said Matthew Miller, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. |
