District 4 & 5 GOP Candidates Debate Local Control, Taxes, and Legislative Records at Goss Opera House Forum (Podcast & Video)

Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - The historic Goss Opera House became the center of the regional political universe as candidates for South Dakota Districts 4 and 5 squared off in a marathon primary forum. With the June 2nd primary looming, the event highlighted divides within the Republican party on issues ranging from the criminality of abortion to the state’s role in economic development.

Moderated by Mark Roby, the forum provided a platform for incumbents and challengers to present their visions for northeastern South Dakota, often resulting in sharp exchanges regarding legislative effectiveness and the limits of state power.

District 4 House: “Workhorses” vs. “Constitutional Principles”

The District 4 House panel featured five candidates vying for two seats: incumbents Dylan Jordan and Kent Roe, and challengers Fred Deutsch, Gary Hudiburgh, and Ryan Kohl.

Measuring Legislative Success

A central theme of the session was how voters should measure a representative’s effectiveness. Fred Deutsch, a former legislator seeking to return to the House, emphasized his record of passing 19 bills over eight years.

“I want to be known as a workhorse, not a show horse,” Deutsch said. “Good intentions don’t pass bills. Relationships pass bills, preparation, study, and efforts showing up every single day”.

Incumbent Dylan Jordan pushed back against the idea that a high bill count equals success, defending his alignment with the Freedom Caucus.

“I did not campaign on bringing you a bunch of new rules,” Jordan argued. “If you believe in limited government, to say we’re going to pass 200 more laws every year is kind of silly. I represent the core values of the people that elected me”.

The HB 1212 Controversy

The most visceral debate centered on HB 1212, a bill that would have allowed women who had an abortion to be charged with first-degree murder.

·         Kent Roe expressed deep disgust for the measure: “I think it is vicious and cruel... It just turned my stomach to even listen to the testimony”.

·         Fred Deutsch agreed: “It is the dumbest bill. You do not put women in jail for up to life for an abortion. You treat them with respect”.

·         Dylan Jordan, however, stood by his sponsorship: “I am sorry that I’m the only one up here that is for equal justice under the law... Under our current laws, abortion has gone up over 30% in South Dakota since Roe v. Wade alone. What we’re doing is not working”.

District 4 Senate: The Battle for Local Control

Incumbent Stephanie Sauder and challenger Timothy Begalka offered contrasting views on the state’s role in local institutions.

State Mandates vs. Local Authority

Timothy Begalka, a former legislator, argued for a “hands-off” approach to local government.

“One of my goals is not only to pass bills that I think are good, but to kill bills I think are bad,” Begalka stated, advocating for local school boards and municipalities to handle issues like cell phone use in classrooms.

Stephanie Sauder, a former teacher and mayor, focused on her work for the “vulnerable,” citing a bill she is currently reworking to provide licensing for private non-medical home healthcare.

“Many of our elderly would prefer to stay in their homes as long as possible,” Sauder said. “That’s my priority right now, to take care of our elderly and the most vulnerable”.

On the issue of teacher pay, where the state ranks 46th nationally, Begalka suggested it was primarily a local concern, noting that in small districts, “teachers are some of the best-paid people”. Sauder, while wanting to increase pay, warned against state-mandated caps on superintendent salaries, calling such ideas “irresponsible”.

District 5 Senate: Affordability and Accountability

The debate between incumbent Senator Glen Vilhauer and challenger Representative Josephine Garcia for the District 5 Senate seat was characterized by a fundamental disagreement over the role of state government and the efficiency of public institutions.

While Vilhauer leveraged his experience as a “retired CPA” and state “appropriator” to advocate for fiscal stability, Garcia framed herself as a disruptor targeting “top-heavy” administration and championing “medical freedom”.

Clashing Priorities: Affordability vs. Medical Freedom

Vilhauer opened by defining the core challenge for Watertown as a broader affordability crisis.

·         Vilhauer’s Stance: He argued that property taxes cannot be viewed in isolation; they are part of a larger economic squeeze, including “insurance, medical expense, etcetera”. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, he defended the state budget against claims of waste, asserting that South Dakota maintains a “lean budget” and that the “massive waste” claimed by critics does not exist.

·         Garcia’s Stance: Garcia prioritized medical freedom and public safety as her primary drivers. She gave her legislative effectiveness an “A+”, citing her work on “tougher” bills regarding electricians, E-Verify for illegal immigration, and medical freedom—many of which she noted missed passing by only “one or two votes”.

The Debate Over “Top-Heavy” Administration

A discussion of teacher pay and healthcare, in which Garcia critiqued the current administrative structure of public institutions.

·         Garcia’s “Cholesterol” Analogy: Regarding the fact that administrators can earn significantly more than teachers, Garcia stated, “We’re top heavy administration, healthcare, we’re top heavy in schools... I would say trim the cholesterol at the top and disperse accordingly”. She argued that until these institutions are consolidated and trimmed, simply throwing more money at the problem is ineffective.

·         Vilhauer’s Defense of the Local Control: While Vilhauer acknowledged that the disparity is a “complex question,” he warned against a state-led mandate to fix it, suggesting it would lead to a more “unionized” and rigid system.

Property Tax Relief and the “Trust Fund Tax”

The candidates offered different solutions for long-term property tax relief.

·         The Trust Fund Tax: Garcia introduced a proposal to tax the “billionaires from out of the country” who invest in South Dakota trust funds. She argued that by taxing these outside entities, the state could generate enough revenue to “balance the actual property tax” without hurting local residents.

·         Vilhauer’s Skepticism: Vilhauer called the idea of eliminating property taxes without a clear replacement a “pipe dream”. He argued that property taxes are essential for local roads and schools, and he warned that the only realistic replacement would be a state income tax, which he vowed to “never support”.

Sharp Divide on Abortion (HB 1212)

The ideological gap was most apparent when discussing HB 1212, which sought to hold women criminally liable for abortions.

·         Vilhauer’s Opposition: He called it a “bad, bad, bad bill,” arguing that it is “crazy” to hold women criminally liable for what is often the most difficult decision of their lives.

·         Garcia’s Defense: Garcia viewed the bill through the lens of constitutional “equal protection”. She stated, “Murder is murder... and that is just how it is, how it was written,” while adding that more should be done to prevent the “heartbeat” of an abortion through better support systems for women.

Lake Conservation: “Accountability” vs. “Lack of Funding”

Regarding the weed and zebra mussel infestations in Watertown-area lakes, the candidates shifted blame in different directions.

·         Garcia focused on a lack of accountability, stating that state agencies like Game, Fish, and Parks (GFP) have “plenty of funding” but refuse to work together. She argued that if the lakes are not preserved, it will eventually “hurt us economically” by destroying tourism.

·         Vilhauer expressed disappointment that his fellow legislators opposed a study on how to deal with zebra mussels, but he defended the need for “collaborative effort” rather than just attacking agencies.

In their closing remarks, Vilhauer reiterated that he is a “public servant” who understands the “pulse of the people,” while Garcia positioned herself as a healer for a “government [that] needs healing”.

Regional Stakes: Ethanol, Tech, and Tax Relief

Across all sessions, several key regional issues emerged as common ground—or points of contention:

·         Lake Area Technical College (LATC): Candidates expressed universal support for the school, but frustration over failed funding for a new trade center. Kent Roe noted that the bill failed despite $17 million in local donations, while Josephine Garcia suggested that any future funding should include stricter apprenticeship requirements.

·         Ethanol and E30: Following the death of recent carbon pipeline projects, Ryan Kohl advocated for a state-led push for E30 fuel. “Ethanol gives us another option. It gets us off being globally dependent on a commodity that crazy people... can disrupt for months,” Kohl argued.

·         Property Tax Elimination: When asked about the proposal to eliminate property taxes, most candidates expressed skepticism regarding revenue replacement.

Stephanie Sauder asked, “If we don’t have property taxes, then how are we going to pay for our roads? How are we going to pay for the people who work in the courthouse?”

As the forum concluded, the candidates left the voters of Districts 4 and 5 with a clear choice among seasoned legislative “workhorses,” principled “constitutionalists,” and those seeking to disrupt the status quo in Pierre.