Rick Weiland, the Democratic Senate candidate in South Dakota, effectively accused the national party Monday of sabotaging his campaign.
During a Monday press conference, Weiland charged that the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee became involved in the South Dakota Senate race only to help the independent candidate, former GOP Sen. Larry Pressler — and that the DSCC ran negative TV ads against Republican Mike Rounds in order to damage South Dakotan opinions of Weiland himself.
The DSCC came into the race in the last few weeks as polling showed a tightening race, counter to earlier expectations that the seat would be an easy pick-up for the GOP. But newer surveys have shown Rounds re-establishing a significant lead as Pressler dropped off.
Weiland still appears to think that the national party was conspiring against him. Here is how he portrayed the situation, according to the Argus Leader’s David Montgomery, who was at the Monday press conference held by Weiland.
I’m at @People4Weiland‘s campaign office, where he’s about to issue a “challenge” to the @DSCC. #sdsen
— David Montgomery (@ArgusMontgomery) October 27, 2014
Weiland says the @DSCC‘s $1M for #sdsen “was intended… to help Larry pressler.”
— David Montgomery (@ArgusMontgomery) October 27, 2014
Weiland on @DSCC: Ads attacking Rounds have “been counterproductive to my campaign.” “Go positive or go home,” Weiland says. #sdsen
— David Montgomery (@ArgusMontgomery) October 27, 2014
Weiland: “I need a positive message (from the @DSCC) that reinforces why I got into this race.” #sdsen
— David Montgomery (@ArgusMontgomery) October 27, 2014
Weiland says @DSCC *deliberately* was trying to drive up his own negatives with anti-Rounds attack ad. #sdsen
— David Montgomery (@ArgusMontgomery) October 27, 2014
Weiland says that Harry Reid’s comments bashing his chances “were intended to dry up my fundraising.” #sdsen
— David Montgomery (@ArgusMontgomery) October 27, 2014
National Democrats’ lack of involvement in the South Dakota Senate race had already been at the center of a Democratic feud between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and former Majority Leader Tom Daschle that surfaced earlier this fall. Reid had said at one point that it was “more than likely” that the party would lose the seat and he had preferred another candidate for the race.
The Weiland campaign and the DSCC did not immediately respond to TPM’s requests for comment.
