Jordan Stoick stopped by The Daily Republic today, so we had a chance to meet and talk with one of Rep. Kristi Noem’s top aides.
Stoick is the Republican congresswoman’s chief of staff and, for a bit, her spokesman. He will fill in for Communications Director Josh Shields, who has resigned and is moving home to Rapid City.
Shields’ last day is Friday. He worked against Noem in the 2010 GOP primary, when he was the campaign manager for Blake Curd. Noem, a little-known Republican legislator from tiny Castlewood in northeast South Dakota, bested Curd and Chris Nelson, who was then the secretary of state.
Shields then jumped to Noem’s team and served as campaign manager and spokesman. He took the communications director post when Noem won that fall.
Stoick said Shields is departing on good terms and was eager to return to the Black Hills with his new wife as they build a life and family together. He said they are all parting friends.
Stoick and Shields are a lot alike.They’re young, smart, ambitious men who have worked for several Republican politicians, in and out of South Dakota.
Both express a devotion to South Dakota, their home state, and to Noem. They say she is a good boss and a decent person.
Stoick did claim he’s a better shot, based on their hunting ventures last fall.
Noem is facing a possible primary challenge from Stephanie Strong, a newcomer to politics from Rapid City. Strong is seeking tea party support, and said Noem has already gone DC on us.
Stoick said Noem wants tea party support but resists efforts to label her a tea party candidate, although the South Dakota Democrats are working hard to do just that.
He said it may be an advantage for Strong to run to the right of Noem. Stoick said that helps place her closer to the middle of the Republican spectrum.
We have a story on U.S. House race staffing additions in the Thursday MDR, South Dakota’s best source for political news. We are running a photo of David Benson, the sharp, Democratic doppelganger to Stoick.
Benson, another bright young South Dakotan, is running Matt Varilek‘s campaign.
Stoick declined to let us take his pic and we didn’t paparazzi him. But the fact is, these aggressive, intelligent young people behind the scenes are crucial players in South Dakota politics and government.
