2022 SD Governor's race: on Abortion


Billie Sutton: Moderate with pro-gun and pro-life stances

In the weeks since Billie Sutton came closer to the governor's office than any Democrat in decades, Sutton wrote in one post-election pitch that he wasn't just building a campaign but a movement--one that will "keep going and keep fighting for our shared priorities." Sutton told The Associated Press this week, "Even when you lose a race like this, that fire doesn't die out," Sutton said.

Sutton cast himself as a moderate, with pro-gun and anti-abortion stances that made him palatable to many Republican voters, to push Kristi Noem hard to the finish.

His unusual life story--a former rodeo cowboy who turned to politics after a paralyzing injury--brought him added attention, and he lost to Gov.-elect Noem by 3.4 percentage points in November. After months of campaigning, Sutton returned to work full-time at a bank in Burke. He said he's enjoying spending time with his family and watching the National Finals Rodeo.

Source: A.P. / Rapid City Journal on 2022 South Dakota Governor race Dec 14, 2018

Jamie R. Smith: I think abortion should be rare but legal

When asked about a possible citizen-led initiative campaign to codify a right to an abortion, Smith said the issue is on many people's radar. "Every time I speak it's a question that gets asked about my stance on this," Smith said. "I think abortion should be rare but legal and in doing so people seem to understand where I'm at and where my stance is. I think I fall in line with the majority of South Dakotans."
Source: KELO on 2022 South Dakota Gubernatorial race Jun 16, 2022

Kristi Noem: No mother should be pressured into ending a child's life

No mother should ever be pressured to have an abortion due to outdated stereotypes about what and who is "normal" or the potential of a life with Down syndrome. For that matter, no mother should ever be pressured into ending a child's life. Instead, our country and the world should acknowledge the inherent worth and dignity of every human person, born and unborn, regardless of preexisting conditions like Down syndrome.

The South Dakota governor's office includes an unborn person advocate, a post created by Gov. Noem, whose job is to fearlessly fight to protect both expectant mothers and unborn babies. South Dakotans have also stopped late-term abortions more than halfway through pregnancy, when science shows unborn children can feel pain.

Source: LifeNews.com on 2022 South Dakota Gubernatorial race Mar 29, 2021

Jamie R. Smith: Uphold state abortion ban: no exceptions for rape or incest

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem indicated during her reelection campaign's lone debate with her Democratic challenger, state lawmaker Jamie Smith, that if reelected she will uphold the state's abortion ban that provides no exceptions for rape or incest. The Republican governor explained her position simply as "pro-life," while pledging to push for expanded parental leave in the state and alleviate the toll of inflation on people's budgets.

Smith called Noem's stance extreme and said it was endangering women's lives and causing concern among physicians for its lack of clarity on when an abortion is allowed--only to save the life of a pregnant woman. "It's clear to me that South Dakotans overwhelmingly support a woman's right to an abortion," Smith said. "We talk about freedom all the time, except the freedom to make this choice."

Source: US News and World Report on 2022 South Dakota Governor race Oct 1, 2022

Kristi Noem: Focus on doctors breaking the law; ban telemedicine abortion

GOV. GRETCHEN WHITMER (D-MI): With the current legislature that I have, there is no common ground, which is the sad thing. They've already introduced legislation to criminalize and throw nurses and doctors in jail.

GOV. KRISTI NOEM (R-SD): I think we'll continue to have those debates on how we can support these mothers and what it means to really make sure that we're not prosecuting mothers ever in a situation like this when it comes to abortion, that it will always be focused towards those doctors who knowingly break the law to perform abortions in our state. I brought a bill that would ban telemedicine abortions, which means a doctor of the Internet or over the phone could prescribe an abortion for an individual, because these are very dangerous medical procedures.

Source: CBS Face the Nation on 2022 South Dakota Gubernatorial race Jul 26, 2022

Kristi Noem: Supreme Court gave authority back to the states to decide

GOV. KRISTI NOEM (R-SD): I anticipate there will be more debate and discussion. What was interesting about the Supreme Court decision is that it gave the authority back to the states to make these decisions. So, now that this decision has been made, it will be up to each of the states and the state legislatures and the people there to talk to their elected representatives about what their laws look like closer to home.

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA): Look, what she's really saying is that when this decision is made, it should be made by the government. That the government should move in and the government should determine whether or not a pregnancy is forced to continue or whether or not a pregnancy can be terminated. We have never left individual rights to the states. The whole idea is that women are not second-class citizens. And the government is not the one that will decide about the continuation of a pregnancy.

Source: ABC This Week on 2022 South Dakota Gubernatorial race Jun 26, 2022

Kristi Noem: South Dakotans overwhelmingly support right to choose

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem indicated during her reelection campaign's lone debate with her Democratic challenger, state lawmaker Jamie Smith, that if reelected she will uphold the state's abortion ban that provides no exceptions for rape or incest. The Republican governor explained her position simply as "pro-life," while pledging to push for expanded parental leave in the state and alleviate the toll of inflation on people's budgets.

Smith called Noem's stance extreme and said it was endangering women's lives and causing concern among physicians for its lack of clarity on when an abortion is allowed--only to save the life of a pregnant woman. "It's clear to me that South Dakotans overwhelmingly support a woman's right to an abortion," Smith said. "We talk about freedom all the time, except the freedom to make this choice."

Source: US News and World Report on 2022 South Dakota Governor race Oct 1, 2022

  • The above quotations are from 2022 South Dakota Gubernatorial race: debates and news coverage.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Abortion.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Kristi Noem on Abortion.
Candidates and political leaders on Abortion:

Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R) 		Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R) 		Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Feb 14, 2023