Interviews for this story are from SDPB's daily public-affairs show, In the Moment, hosted by Lori Walsh.
U.S. Senator John Thune is vying for a historic fourth term in office.
But the number two Republican in the Senate is getting challenged by opponents who say it's time for him to go.
Thune is hoping to match the late Karl Mundt for the most elections to the U.S. Senate by a South Dakota candidate. Thune is asking voters to keep sending him back to Washington.
“I’m a right-of-center conservative. I think the country is there. They don’t always vote that way, but I think the country still looks for right-of-center conservative solutions to problems," Thune says. "In the Senate, to get anything done, you kind of have to get to that. The question is, is it going to be center-right or center-left, because it takes 60 votes to do anything in the Senate.”
Thune says if re-elected and Republicans take a majority in the Senate, he’ll focus on several policy issues, including energy, big tech and trade.
A recent poll by South Dakota State University shows Thune has a comfortable lead over his opponents. However, he lacks majority support in that poll. One of Thune’s challengers hopes to capitalize on that.
Bruce Whalen is from Pine Ridge. Whalen says he’s not running against Thune, but trying to rescue him.
“Myself and South Dakotans all across the state feel the same way, that he needs rescuing, that he’s been there too long,” Whalen says. “He’s very much like Daschle was when he was finishing up and who John ran against and won the race in 2004. We feel the same way. He’s just been there too long.”
Whalen says the most important issue of his campaign is prosecuting what he calls the “stolen election” and the “Fauci flu.”
There is no evidence that the 2020 election was stolen. COVID-19 has taken the lives of over 1 million Americans.
The primary election is on June 7. Thune's other challenger is Mark Mowry, of Spearfish, who declined an interview request.
