Sen. Rounds’ new challenger discusses campaign
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - Senator Mike Rounds has a new challenger after an announcement by the South Dakota Democratic Party on Thursday.
A former state trooper and current business owner and community leader in Sioux Falls is throwing his hat into the ring.
Julian Beaudion looks forward to the challenge and believes he is the right man for the job.
Beaudion has been involved with the NAACP, organizing the local Juneteenth celebration, working with his non-profit, and his family’s small business.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg and Beaudion believes his background has prepared him for this moment.
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“My work has always been focused on the people. The people has been the center of the work and really understanding how I can make the biggest impact for the people of South Dakota has always been a top priority for me,” Beaudion said.
He said his campaign will focus on investing in rural infrastructure, building up South Dakota’s agriculture industry, and more.
He believes his values stand in contrast with current Senator Mike Rounds’ leadership in the last year, but when asked about running against Rounds, he said it was more about who he was running for than running against.
“The reality is I don’t know what to expect from Senator Rounds. However, with that said, I’m not running against anybody. I’m running for the people of South Dakota and I don’t think that Senator Rounds is accurately representing the people as he should in D.C. For me, it’s less about Rounds and more about the citizens of this state,” Beaudion explained.
For both candidates, the lead-up to the midterm elections will be a marathon, not a sprint and they look to do what they feel is best for South Dakota.
“One thing that I’m really excited about is that we’re not building our own platform. I’m not here to tell somebody, ‘Hey, I believe South Dakota needs this.’ We’re traveling across the state, we’re listening to people and we’re allowing the citizens of South Dakota to build our platform for us,” Beaudion said.
Beaudion acknowledged that most of his work has been east river and his campaign will include efforts to build relationships and reach out to folks on the other side of the state in the next 18 months.
You can learn more about Julian Beaudion here.
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