Democrat State Rep. Susan Wismer Announces For Governor

The South Dakota Race for Governor has picked up another participant, State Rep. Susan Wismer, (D-Britton) announced today that she will begin collecting signatures to get on the ballot.

Another Democrat Joe Lowe has also announced. If both candidates get enough legal signatures, they will face each other in the Democratic Primary in June.

Wismer sent the following media release:

“South Dakotans need and deserve a state government that works for them," said Wismer.  "It’s time we had a Governor that stands up for middle-class South Dakotans, invests in education, and brings a fresh voice to the conversation, instead of the machine that has controlled Pierre for a generation.  That’s the kind of leader I intend to be.”

Wismer is a third term Democratic legislator from Britton. She is a small business owner; she and her sister have operated a tax and bookkeeping practice for over 25 years.

She and her husband Mark, also a Britton native, are the parents of three children. Her family has a long history in South Dakota politics. Her grandfather Art Jones was a rural electric leader and State Senator; her uncle Curt Jones was a State Senator from 1970-1986.

Wismer has served on Appropriations Committee since the beginning of her legislative service. She is a current member of Government Operations and Audit Committee, and has served on the Legislative Redistricting, Legislative Planning, and various summer study committees. She is a representative to the Midwestern Higher Education Compact and on the planning committee for the International Legislators Conference. She is an alumnus of the Midwestern Council of State Government’s Bowhay Legislative Leadership Development Program. She was a member of the first class of South Dakota Ag and Rural Leadership.

Wismer is a 1978 graduate of Augustana College in Sioux Falls, with a major in English and a minor in Journalism, and passed the CPA exam in 1982. In her community she has served as secretary treasurer to the Britton Economic Development Corporation and Britton Area Hospice for over 20 years. She is a member of First Presbyterian Church of Britton and has participated on several Presbytery committees.

“I owe the voters notice that they will have a choice in the race for Governor this spring in the primary and in the fall. I will continue the important work of being a state legislator through the course of this year’s session.  I would appreciate your patience as I work through the legislative session, along with my busy tax season at my office. I owe my constituents and my clients my full attention until April 15, after which I will turn my attention to the campaign full-time.”

An official statewide kickoff tour will be announced in the coming months.