Former House lawmaker, congressional candidate wants to return to Pierre
Taffy Howard running for State Senate, Mike Diedrich will not run for reelection
A former state lawmaker who ran for Congress wants to return to the state Legislature in 2025, ending speculation that she might make another bid for federal office.
Taffy Howard, who served in the State House from 2017-2023, made her intentions officials Tuesday to run for the state Senate this year, ending weeks of guesswork that the Rapid City woman would seek an elected office again.
"I am dedicated to serving District 34 and South Dakota. I will use my experience and relationships I’ve built in Pierre to build a brighter, safer, and stronger South Dakota together.” Howard said.
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The seat Howard is seeking is being left vacant as a result of Sen. Michael Diedrich not running for reelection due to health issues. Diedrich, who serves as assistant majority leader, has been absent from this year’s legislative session due to complications related to a colon cancer diagnosis last year.
“We wish Sen. Diedrich peace, strength, and comfort from our Savior as he goes through this health battle,” Howard included in her announcement.
She’ll face at least one opponent in lifelong Black Hills resident and area attorney Jason Green. He made official his intentions to run for the seat Monday.
“My promise to taxpayers is that I look forward to working hard everyday for the people of District 34,” Green said in a statement.
Howard vacated her seat in the House in order to launch a long-shot bid for Congress in 2022 against Congressman Dusty Johnson. However, she managed to string together enough support to put up a surprising showing, garnering just under 41 percent of the vote. Many in conservative Republican circles speculated that a rematch could be possible - Johnson has yet to garner a Republican primary challenger for his reelection bid.
In addition to having served in the Legislature for six years, Howard is an Air Force veteran and mother of two.
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I am sorry to hear about Mike Dietrich’s cancer diagnosis. But why he did not resign his seat? We seem to just leave these seats empty willy nilly. Rather than have the Governor appoint someone, would my it be nice to have a special election. Yes I know it would be expensive, but we seem to have money to throw around at other things. I hope you are doing well Mike.
GREAT NEWS!!! It'll be great for the taxpayers of South Dakota to have another strong-AND PROVEN- fiscal conservative back in Pierre!!! As we say in our Navy,may you have "Fair Winds and Following Seas"!