S.D. politics: Libertarians looking to fill gap

South Dakota's Libertarian Party will meet next month with a golden opportunity to be the only opposition in several statewide races, rather than finishing a distant third place as usually happens.

But the party first will have to decide what to make of one would-be candidate: Chad Haber, the husband of former U.S. Senate candidate Annette Bosworth.

In South Dakota, statewide races such as public utilities commissioner and attorney general are nominated by party conventions rather than primaries. The Constitution, Democratic and Republican parties already have nominated their slates: All six stand-alone offices for the Republicans, three for Democrats and two for the Constitution Party.

That leaves Libertarians with a chance to nominate candidates for the three races with only a single GOP candidate running: attorney general, public lands commissioner and state auditor.

If they don't, those Republicans will win by default.

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Ken Santema, a Libertarian activist, said it's "great" the party is holding a convention after he and others thought it might not.

"If this is played right, (Libertarians) can show they're just as relevant as the Democrat Party in South Dakota," Santema said.

Emily Wanless, a political science professor at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, said Libertarian candidates could get a lot of Democratic votes in the races where they're the only opposition to Republicans.

Four years ago, Democratic candidates got between 25 percent and 40 percent of the vote for statewide offices. Recent Libertarian candidates have received much less — 1 percent for governor in 2006, 2.7 percent for attorney general that year and 5.7 percent for public utilities commissioner in 2012.

"It definitely helps that South Dakota is a relatively cheap media market," Wanless said. "If third-party candidates are going to fare well, it's typically in states where it's less expensive to campaign and get their name out there, which is a hurdle they have to overcome."

Emmett Reistroffer, another Libertarian activist, said he hopes "folks in the Democratic Party would be willing to sit down with the Libertarian Party" and hash out a temporary alliance. Though the two parties have "drastic differences in policy positions," they share a common opponent in the state's dominant Republicans.

Another test of the common opponent will be how Libertarians handle Haber, who wants to run against Republican Attorney General Marty Jackley.

"I don't think anybody should be able to run for an office that high unopposed," Haber said.

He accuses Jackley of a "scandal-ridden" career and wants to point out areas where he thinks Jackley falls short.

Haber also has a personal reason to run, though he downplays it. Jackley's office is prosecuting his wife, Bosworth, right now for 12 counts of felony election fraud. She has accused him of investigating her for political reasons.

The attorney general's office under Jackley also was involved in an investigation of Bosworth for alleged Medicaid fraud, which resulted in a settlement.

"Her case, over the last five years, is a great example of Marty's abuse of power," Haber said.

But Haber, previously a registered Republican who admits he has no historical ties to the Libertarian Party, already is drawing opposition.

Reistroffer believes Haber isn't "a true Libertarian" and is trying to recruit other Libertarians to run. Santema worries Haber would be a "distraction" who would "bring down the Libertarian brand."

He's also not a lawyer, which isn't a requirement to be attorney general but is the normal background for the job.

Haber says he's a "perfect fit" for the Libertarian Party because he supports "personal freedom" and "stopping the oppression of the state."

And far from being a distraction, he said he'll be a boost for the party because of Bosworth's experience running for U.S. Senate.

"This'll be a real candidacy. We know how to raise money," Haber said.

But he said he was hoping to find another lawyer to run against Jackley, and is still willing to "step aside" if "someone more qualified steps up."

Haber said his standards for "more qualified" primarily are based on a candidate being willing to "stand up" to Jackley.

Santema said he'll run if no one else does, but he has heard another Libertarian, "a lawyer that's not Haber," is considering the race.

"I'm very confident we will nominate someone else other than Chad Haber," Reistroffer said.

Haber said he's had conversations with Libertarians who support his candidacy, and he plans to spend the coming weeks meeting more of them and making his case.

There are about 1,200 registered Libertarian voters in South Dakota. Samuel Saunders, the party's chair, said their last statewide convention had about 40 voting delegates.

The South Dakota Libertarian Party's convention will be held in the Sioux Falls downtown library at 10 a.m. on Aug. 9.

Haber profile

Name: Chad Haber

Party: Libertarian

Office sought: Attorney general

Home: Sioux Falls

Age: 43

Family: Wife Annette Bosworth, three sons

Political experience: Supported his wife's U.S. Senate campaign

Work experience: "Entrepreneur," including time as a truck driver, as a dealership owner and an investor

Education: Incomplete degree from the University of South Dakota