Keoland (S.D.)
News reported Friday that Kristi Noem (right) has had 20 speeding tickets,
three stop sign violations, two seat belt violations and a citation for
driving with no driver's license. She has also been issued six court
notices for failure to appear and two arrest warrants.
In her most recent incident earlier this year, Noem was pulled over for going 94
miles-per-hour on a highway.
Noem has been running a strong campaign against Herseth Sandlin, who
voted against healthcare reform and climate change legislation but is
facing her toughest re-election challenge this year. The Cook Political
Report recently changed its rating of the race from leaning Democrat to
toss-up.
Noem's traffic violations could be a game changer, however,
particularly in South Dakota, where they may have a special resonance.
Herseth
Sandlin's immediate predecessor -- Rep. Bill Janklow (R) -- was found
guilty of second-degree manslaughter for killing a motorcyclist while
speeding. Janklow, a former governor, eventually resigned his seat in
2004. Herseth Sandlin was elected that summer in a special election, and
is serving her fourth term in Congress.
She won in 2008 with
nearly 68 percent of the vote, even as South Dakota's electoral votes in
the presidential contest went to Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).
Noem
said she is "not proud" of her driving record and is working to
improve herself.
"Obviously, I'm not proud of my driving
record but I been working hard to be a better example to young kids and
young drivers out there," Noem told Keoland News.
The GOP
candidate said she has been truthful about her driving record and
predicted it would not become a campaign issue.
"Absolutely,
when you enter a race like this you
just know your life is gong to be an open book especially with these
public records like that too. We've got so many issues to talk about
with South Dakota voters that they care about," she said. "I just feel
disheartened
we're spending time talking about my poor driving record when we could
be talking about the economy and jobs."
The warrants were issed
when she failed to pay fines on two occasions. Noem said that she has
now paid all of her fines. Herseth Sandlin was found to have one
speeding violation in 1999, and paid a $73 fine.
Herseth Sandlin, in a statement
to Keoland News, said that elected officials have to be "accountable"
and "respect the laws that are made for all of us citizens."
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