Senator John Thune's reelection campaign is attracting political heavyweights to the state. Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney is in Sioux Falls to help raise money for the South Dakota Senator.
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Less than ten months away from the 2010 election, Senator John Thune is still without an opponent. Although November's election is shaping up to be a less stressful race than 2004, the Senator is quick to point out, you don't take chances in politics.
John Thune says, "You can't take anything for granted, and we're not gonna do that. We're gonna work as hard as we can to go out and earn the support of the people of South Dakota."
That's why he asked former presidential candidate Mitt Romney to come to South Dakota. Romney was governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007.
He is not running for a seat in 2010, but he is traveling the country to campaign for Republicans like Thune who are trying to win a seat in Congress.
Mitt Romney says, "I can tell you that I am here because I want to make sure this guy gets reelected and reelected resoundingly, and that he's able to continue to have an impact on what's happening in Washington."
Both politicians are quick to dodge any questions about a 2012 presidential run, instead shifting the focus to this year's election.
Mitt Romney says, "Thinking about 2012 reminds me of the old adage of counting your chickens before the eggs hatch. This is counting your chickens before the rooster and the hen have met. We have not yet completed 2010, we have a lot of work to do."
That work has already begun. Romney just finished campaigning for Scott Brown, who won the late Ted Kennedy's Senate seat in Massachusetts. Now Romney is hoping to spread some of that Republican momentum around the country, even in a state where it might not be needed.
Romney just returned to the country from Canada where he was at the Winter Olympics. Romney was the president of the committee that organized the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
