Pure Pierre Politics

We’re still wondering if Gov. Mike Rounds might see the light and run for his old state Senate again in the Pierre district, now that he’s in his eighth and final year as governor. After looking at his 2009 campaign finance report this morning, he has enough money to run for just about anything he wants. He finished 2009 with $439,875 cash on hand. He received $8,502 last year and spent $92,043, including $69,298 on what is simply listed as “Salaries” on his report. This is at least the second straight year he’s paid out that kind of cash for these salaries. When I asked his press secretary last year about it, I received a nonspecific answer. Given that this is campaign money and our campign finance spending and reporting laws are what might be charitably described as flexible, they really don’t have to tell. The only political contribution Mike reported making last year was $1,000 to the re-election campaign of Public Utilities Commissioner Dusty Johnson, a fellow Republican.