Joshua Haiar, South Dakota Searchlight
SIOUX FALLS — Republican U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson and Democratic challenger Sheryl Johnson both vowed to work across the aisle during their first and only debate on Tuesday, but revealed sharp contrasts on key issues like climate change, abortion, and gun violence.
Sheryl Johnson is the first Democratic challenger to Rep. Johnson since 2018, when the Congressman beat former judge Tim Bjorkman and a Libertarian Party candidate to secure the state’s lone U.S. House seat.
The debate at the South Dakota Public Broadcasting studio in Sioux Falls saw both candidates emphasize their commitment to pragmatism and civil discourse.
Dusty Johnson, who has held South Dakota’s sole U.S. House seat since 2018, pointed to his record of negotiating bipartisan legislation, and recognition as a problem solver by organizations like the nonpartisan Center for Effective Lawmaking.
Sheryl Johnson, a first-time congressional candidate and former Republican, framed herself as a political outsider. She touted her background as a mother of four, a public school employee and the owner of an part time, at-home business. Her campaign slogan, “SD Mom for Congress,” underscores her critique of the political establishment, which she says is out of touch with the needs of ordinary South Dakotans.
“They’re all fed up with politicians that don’t listen to them,” she said of the those she’s met on the campaign trial.
The debate also revealed the candidates’ ideological differences.
Dusty Johnson argued against sweeping mandates like the “Green New Deal.” The Green New Deal is a broad outline for revamping U.S. policy to focus on climate change by transitioning to renewable energy sources.
The Representative said Democratic climate policies have had a negative impact on the environment and national security by making the nation and its allies dependent on countries with less strict environmental regulations, like China and Russia.
Sheryl Johnson said “climate change is real,” and that she’s worried about the droughts and flooding that have increased in frequency in the Midwest as a result.
Even so, she is not comfortable with Summit’s proposed carbon capture pipeline, which she doesn’t see as a workable option to mitigate the impacts of climate change. The project aims to collect and store CO2 from 57 ethanol plants in South Dakota and other neighboring states, collecting federal clean energy tax incentives along the way.
On abortion, Dusty Johnson said the constitutional amendment South Dakota voters are considering this election cycle is not the answer because it allows no restrictions on abortion in the first trimester.
“Amendment G is extreme,” he said
Sheryl Johnson, however, described it as a reinstatement of Roe v. Wade, referencing the 1972 U.S. Supreme Court case protecting abortion rights. The current Supreme Court overturned Roe two years ago in a case called Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health.
She called for the restoration of federal protections for reproductive rights, and said current laws in some states make it unclear if and when doctors can perform abortions to protect the life and safety of women.
The candidates also differed sharply on gun violence. Sheryl Johnson said she supports the Second Amendment, but said she’d like to see moderate gun safety measures like stricter background checks.
She said the U.S. is failing its children, and that it’s too easy to get a gun.
“Guns are not toys, and I think we glamorize them too much in today’s society,” she said.
Dusty Johnson emphasized the need to protect Second Amendment rights. He said the U.S. needs a comprehensive policy to address the mental health crisis he says has contributed to the epidemic of gun violence and suicides.
“President Biden signed a piece of gun control legislation,” he said. “Do any of us really think that has changed the trajectory of this violence?”
Both candidates talked about how their political experience or lack thereof would be an asset to South Dakotans. Dusty Johnson said his years in Congress have given him the skills to navigate Washington D.C.’s complexities and pass meaningful legislation. Sheryl Johnson argued that her outsider perspective makes her better equipped to address the concerns of everyday South Dakotans.
The founding fathers envisioned a citizen legislature in the U.S. House, she said, noting that she supports term limits for members of Congress.
“We need to send a fresh voice to Washington,” she said during closing remarks.
The candidates thanked one another for a cordial and respectful debate. Dusty Johnson said that in the current political climate, that kind of debate is not guaranteed.
“This could have devolved into a mess, like so many debates do, jagged insult hurling,” he said. “This could have been a Scandinavian night fight, Johnson versus Johnson, but we, I think, really gave South Dakotans the debate they deserved”