HURON – State Sen. Billie Sutton hopes to attract key West River Republican votes in the South Dakota governor’s race with his common sense approach to leadership while combating the large GOP war chest with an army of volunteers.
Running as a Democrat in such a red state is certainly a challenge, he said in a message he delivered in Huron on Thursday.
But Sutton said he has faced many obstacles since his life changed 10 years ago at a rodeo in North Dakota.
After drawing a horse named Ruby – a favorite of his since the pair had won an earlier rodeo – a freak accident left him paralyzed.
“Rodeo was my life, that’s all I wanted to do,” Sutton said. “But on that night in 2007 my life changed.”
A four-term legislative leader, he said a few of his priorities as governor would be pre-kindergarten funding, Medicaid expansion, removing the sales tax on food and ending the culture of corruption in Pierre.
“Our campaign is going to bring South Dakota together,” Sutton said. “We’re going to bring South Dakota together around our common values of honesty and integrity and hard work.
“For too long we’ve had stale government, a state government that doesn’t want us to move forward, that is holding South Dakota back,” he said.
Members of the majority party in power have swept things under the rug rather than being accountable for their actions, he said.
In introducing him at the District 22 Democratic Forum, former Rep. Peggy Gibson of Huron said Sutton believes in spending money on education and helping people.
“Billie is a builder of coalitions among people,” she said of the fifth-generation South Dakotan from Burke.
Sutton said he would focus on real economic development at the grassroots level while representing all South Dakotans, not just members of one party.
He speaks frankly about his accident and his belief that had it not happened he likely would not be married to his wife, Kelsea, or have a 15-month-old son, Liam.

“The opportunities that were now presented to me after my injury have been incredible,” Sutton said.
His family and community rallied around him in his recovery, and he decided it was time to focus on other people. No longer would he be focusing on himself, his next rodeo, belt buckle and paycheck.
“I decided it was time that I give back,” he said. Seven years ago, he won his first term in the Legislature.
A few thousand people applauding him at a rodeo is one thing, but the opportunity to impact the lives of more than 800,000 people every day in a positive way is so much more rewarding, he said.
“I can actually do things to help people,” Sutton said.
While he won’t be able to raise as much money as his Republican opponent, Sutton said the great equalizer will be a team of volunteers.
This fall, he will criss-cross the state for a series of listening sessions with everyday South Dakotans.
“Too often, politicians do a really good job of talking and a really bad job of listening,” Sutton said.
He’s also banking on votes because of his West River connections, his rodeo involvement and the Sutton name.
“But I think what really appeals to West River is someone that brings common sense solutions to the table, and somebody that they can trust, and I believe I am that candidate and we’re going to get that message out West River,” he said.
“My whole career,” Sutton said, “is based on fighting for the little guy.”