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Matt Smith (South Dakota)
Matt Smith (Republican Party) ran for election to the South Dakota House of Representatives to represent District 30. He lost in the Republican primary on June 4, 2024.
Smith completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2024
See also: South Dakota House of Representatives elections, 2024
General election
General election for South Dakota House of Representatives District 30 (2 seats)
Tim Goodwin and incumbent Trish Ladner defeated Susan Scheirbeck in the general election for South Dakota House of Representatives District 30 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Tim Goodwin (R) | 42.6 | 10,094 |
| ✔ |  | Trish Ladner (R) | 41.0 | 9,708 |
| Susan Scheirbeck (D) | 16.4 | 3,872 | ||
| Total votes: 23,674 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Susan Scheirbeck advanced from the Democratic primary for South Dakota House of Representatives District 30.
Republican primary election
Republican primary for South Dakota House of Representatives District 30 (2 seats)
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for South Dakota House of Representatives District 30 on June 4, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Trish Ladner | 24.0 | 2,009 |
| ✔ | | Tim Goodwin | 23.4 | 1,957 |
| Patrick Baumann | 22.4 | 1,877 | ||
 | Matt Smith | 20.8 | 1,745 | |
 | Stephen Saint | 5.1 | 423 | |
 | Matthew Monfore | 4.3 | 364 | |
| Total votes: 8,375 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Smith in this election.
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Matt Smith completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Smith's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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As a Constitutional Conservative, I believe in adhering to the Republican Party Platform, advocating for limited government and lower taxes. Our legislation must align with the U.S. and South Dakota Constitutions, which we’ve sworn to uphold.
Ronald Reagan emphasized the significance of a party platform at the 1976 Republican National Convention, urging us to embrace bold principles rather than pale pastels. This raises a question: Are we in South Dakota bold enough, or are our platform’s colors fading?
The prevalence of Republicans in Name Only (RINOs) in our state, who align more with progressive values, is concerning. They often vote liberally, undermining conservative principles. I stand committed to bringing genuine conservative values to the forefront.- I champion the elimination of Property Taxes, not replacing them with income tax. Some taxes are necessary, but they should be consumption-based, promoting freedom and fiscal responsibility. Excessive taxation expands government rather than reducing it. We must manage state finances as we do household budgets, living within our means to avoid bankruptcy. Unlike households, the government faces no penalties for overspending, resorting to increased taxes or money printing.
- Election integrity: It’s interesting that while most people acknowledge election fraud occurs, there seems to be little desire to rectify it. Why is this the case? A simple solution like paper ballots is often resisted because of concerns that they could take too long to count or be inconvenient. But how is ensuring trustworthy elections an inconvenience? “Those who vote decide nothing; those who count the vote decide everything.” - Joseph Stalin
- Property Rights: As George Washington said, “Freedom and Property Rights are inseparable. You can’t have one without the other.” How can we be free when the government controls what we can and cannot do on our own property? Eminent domain, though sometimes necessary, is a contentious issue. It must be exercised strictly for public use, not for any reason deemed necessary by a potentially corrupt government.
In principle, I believe people should be free to act as they wish, provided they do not cause physical or financial harm to others. This is why laws exist—to delineate acceptable behavior. However, an excess of laws can shift power from the people to the government, which I view as problematic.
A legislator’s worth should not be measured by the number of bills passed but by their adherence to the Constitution. It requires integrity, courage, and a commitment to something greater than oneself—the U.S. Constitution. Furthermore, I hold that we have a divine obligation to safeguard our nation and its citizens from tyranny, defined as officials who manipulate the government for personal gain while imposing laws they do not follow themselves.
Follow the laws of the land.
Uphold integrity.
Uphold integrity.
Ideally, the relationship between the governor and the legislature should be open, fostering the exchange of ideas for the state’s betterment. However, in reality, effective communication can be hindered by widespread political agendas.
Defining property rights.
Keeping our state safe from foreign investors and those who enter our country illegally.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
Footnotes
