Noem Raises $1.1 Million in Third Quarter

South Dakota state Rep. Kristi Noem (R), who is vying to knock off Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D) next month, announced Monday that her campaign raised $1.1 million in the third quarter.

Noem began October with $777,000 in the bank for the final stretch of the campaign. Herseth Sandlin has not yet released her latest fundraising totals, which are due to be reported to the Federal Election Commission on Friday.

“South Dakotans have overwhelmingly responded to our message with their support both in terms of volunteering their time and investing their resources,” Noem said in a statement. “With their continued support, I am confident we will have the resources we need to run strong and win.”

As of Saturday the National Republican Congressional Committee had spent $333,000 to try to boost Noem. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has not yet reported spending any independent expenditures in South Dakota. But the Rapid City Journal reported Monday the DCCC cut its TV ad reservations in the state from $500,000 to about $350,000.

Meanwhile, South Dakota Democrats chided Noem on Monday and tried to link her to Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele’s decision to campaign there on the 20th anniversary of the creation of the state’s Native American Day.

“Of all days, Noem and the SD Republican Party chose Native American Day to bring a scandal-plagued national political partisan to South Dakota to benefit her campaign,” South Dakota Democratic Party Executive Director Erin McCarrick said in a statement. “Either Noem didn’t remember when Native American Day was, or she didn’t care and scheduled this event on the same day anyway.”

Steele is in South Dakota as part of the “Fire Pelosi” bus tour that began Sept. 15 with the goal of visiting 100 cities across 48 states before Election Day. The bus is scheduled to stop in Rapid City, S.D., for a rally Monday afternoon.

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