Hawks weighing US House run

Democrat Paula Hawks is publicly weighing a run for South Dakota's lone US House seat.

Hawks, a representative from Hartford, said Tuesday she will likely make a decision before July. Hawks says her priority is the constituents in her state House district, but she says she’s willing to take on a new role in the future that best serves the people of South Dakota. [DRG News]

Raising the money for an expensive statewide run would take some massive fundraising to match a well-financed opponent in a state where the sitting US Representative has been bought and paid for by the Koch Brothers, Big Ag and 20 wealthy SDGOP donors.

It’s not what Governor Dennis Daugaard said in his annual budget address last week but what he didn’t say that concerns state Representative Paula Hawks, a Democrat from Hartford. “Some things I was hoping to hear about and didn’t hear a lot about were education funding and what we’re going to do about the teacher shortage that’s on everyone’s mind right now, and particularly on the minds of school boards and superintendents across the state,” Hawks said. “So I was looking to hear a little bit more from him on that, a little bit more than 'I’m not going to lead the charge on that.'” [Northern Plains News], link mine.

Rep. Hawks is an advocate for clean sustainable energy in South Dakota's legislature.

For more than a year the legislature's Government Operations and Audit Committee has been looking into the accusations surrounding former Tourism and State Development Secretary Richard Benda. Just this month lawmakers passed a bill they hope will prevent similar situations. If an employee thinks there is a potential conflict he or she has to report it to a supervisor. Those contracts are also reviewed every year by the legislature's Government Operations and Audit Committee. "It’s great policy it's just a little too late," Rep. Paula Hawks (D) Sioux Falls said. Hawks voted for the legislation which had broad support from Democrats and Republicans. Hawks wishes the state would have had similar laws on the books to bring clarity to the Benda situation. "I see it as a positive step in the right direction. I see us moving away from being reactive and being more proactive about keeping an eye on things that we should be keeping an eye on - things we should have oversight of," Hawks said. [KELO]

Hawks' legislature entry linked here, Ballotpedia entry linked here.

Hawks came away from the election with an eight-vote squeaker in District 9 over former Rep. Bob Deelstra.