SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Gov. Kristi Noem won’t participate in a debate sponsored by South Dakota Public Broadcasting because of what her campaign spokesman called its “extreme leftward swing.” In a break from precedent, the Republican governor has agreed to just one debate with her challenger, Democratic state Rep. Jamie Smith. Noem has also positioned herself for a 2024 White House bid. She says that South Dakota Public Broadcasting has shown an “extreme leftward swing” in its coverage of her efforts to bar public schools and universities from using certain approaches to teaching about race. But Smith says Noem is pushing a ‘hyper-partisan’ narrative that hurts voters.
The news release issued by Kristi for Governor is below:
Today (July 15, 2022), in response to an inquiry from South Dakota Public Broadcasting (SDPB) regarding why Governor Noem does not plan to participate in their gubernatorial debate, the Kristi for Governor campaign announced that they will not be participating in the debate due to extreme leftist slant from National Public Radio (NPR) and SDPB.
“For years, we have watched as NPR and SDPB both drifted further and further to the left. The final straw was NPR eliminating the annual reading of the Declaration of Independence on the 4th of July,” said Ian Fury, Communications Director for Kristi for Governor. “In the past, Governor Noem has made clear that she will not participate in debates hosted by hyper-partisan organizations or outlets. SDPB has repeatedly promoted the radical effort to re-write American history and cancel our Founding Fathers. As Governor Noem said at Mount Rushmore, ‘To attempt to cancel the Founding generation is an attempt to cancel our own freedoms.’ Governor Noem has participated in this debate in the past, but SDPB’s extreme leftward swing precludes the possibility of a fair debate.”
Earlier this week, the Kristi for Governor campaign accepted a debate invitation from Dakota News Now and KOTA/KEVN, and Governor Noem challenged her Democrat opponent to do the same.
On July 4, 2022, NPR eliminated its annual tradition of reading the Declaration of Independence and replaced it with a discussion on “what equality means.”
SDPB has repeatedly voiced opposition to Governor Noem’s efforts to promote a true and honest teaching of American history. Last year, they brought Marxist professor Ibram X. Kendi on the air to criticize Governor Noem’s efforts. Kendi’s radical teachings reject the basic fabric of American society with statements like “Capitalism is essentially racist.” SDPB did nothing to press him on these claims.
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