SAINT CLAIR SHORES, Michigan — Republicans need to have better conversations in their communities if they want to see former President Donald Trump in the White House again, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and GOP former Michigan gubernatorial nominee Tudor Dixon said Friday evening at a town hall in Saint Clair Shores.

Following the Thursday conclusion of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, where Vice President Kamala Harris accepted the party’s presidential nomination, Noem and Dixon held an event in Macomb County. The pair, both endorsed by Trump in their bids for governor in the past, answered questions about the November election from residents and rallied support for Trump in Macomb County, where Trump secured a majority of votes in 2020, despite losing the state.

The goal of the night was to make people uncomfortable, Noem said in addressing the crowd of around 300 attendees — uncomfortable that they only have so many hours in a day to talk to people, to tell them how much they love America and bring the message of “hope” that Republicans bring.

“Our policies that we believe in, they bring that. They bring a belief in our Constitution, the opportunity that it provides to grow up in America and have every opportunity in front of you, not equal outcomes, but equal opportunities to be successful and to go on and do with your life what you feel called to do. And that’s really the conversation we need to have with people this election cycle,” Noem said. “We have decided that it’s more important to be right than to go out and win the hearts and minds of people, than to go out there and really talk to people and spend time having conversations about what it means to their family.”

Noem also is scheduled to speak at the Michigan Republican Party state convention Saturday in Flint.

During the DNC and In the next few weeks before the Nov. 5 election, a lot is going to be said about Trump and Harris. Republicans are going to have to decide to “not to be offended and to keep the relationship” if they want to change minds in their communities, Noem said.

“Your words have power,” Noem said. “Choose not to be offended by political conversations you’re having with people. Choose instead to recognize that the words that you speak will impact somebody, and try to speak different words that change their perspective, help them think about this election different than they have.”

And it can start at the grocery store, where Noem said she likes to occasionally work the checkout line like she did in college in order to learn about the needs and concerns of South Dakotans. Even the price of pickles can spark a conversation that could change someone’s perspective.

Republicans need to change their thinking when it comes to reaching out to different groups in states, Dixon said, recalling one campaign event during her race for governor in 2022 where a group of men from Dearborn, which sits in traditionally Democratic Wayne County, came to listen to Republicans.

“They said, ‘You know, we were told that if we came to this event, we would be kicked out.’ And they said, ‘Then we sat here and we heard a lot of things that mean something to our community,’” Dixon said. “I think that it’s a shame on us, but it’s also a new world where we are realizing that it’s time for us to reach everybody. It’s time for us to go to the places that everybody told us, ‘well, you never accepted there.’”

During that election, several Michigan towns and cities had clashes over banning books. In Dearborn, some Muslims and conservative Christians joined forces to oppose books with LGBTQ+ characters and issues in public schools — which was also a major agenda item for Dixon. She lost the election to Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. 

Among those who asked questions at the St. Clair Shores event, Jason Woolford, the Republican nominee for Michigan’s 50th House District in GOP-dominated Livingston County, asked for advice on how to engage voters in local and federal elections.

Michigan is the epicenter of many political battles. It’s a highly sought-after state in the presidential race, and with a U.S. Senate seat up for grabs, it could impact which party is in control of the upper chamber in 2025. At the state level, the parties are battling for control of the Michigan House in November. For the last two years, Democrats in Michigan have held total control of the offices of the governor’s, secretary of state, attorney general, as well as both chambers of the Legislature.

Republicans “are so viciously attacked” Dixon said, invoking conversation about the assassination attempt on Trump last month at a rally in Pennsylvania. “You’ve seen for months they’ve called Donald Trump a threat and then, of course, when people are called a threat, someone wants to eliminate the threat. … And boy, does that discourage people from running as Republicans right now.”

The shooter at the Trump rally has been identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, who was a registered Republican, and was shot and killed by police.

So many of the problems Republicans are worried about like growing taxes, rising inflation and insecure borders can be solved when Michigan mobilizes to elect Trump and flip the state House, Noem said, adding that Whitmer is “a wreck” and “somebody should run against her.”

Dixon lost to Whitmer in 2022 by well over 400,000 votes. Whitmer is term-limited in 2026.

Running for office is not easy and it’s hard to know who to trust, Dixon said. But Republican governors across the country offered their support to her back in 2022 including Noem, who would talk to her and have lunch with her.

Noem rejects more than $70 million in federal funds for energy and environmental programs

Facing an uphill battle in November, Barry Altman, the GOP nominee for the 7th House District in highly Democratic Detroit, asked for financial help and guidance from Noem and Dixon.

In the August primary, Altman won the Republican slot with under 200 votes, while his Democratic opponent in November, Tonya Myers Phillips, won with nearly 5,000 votes.

Noem asked who she could make a check out to to support his campaign and Dixon said she’d take his phone calls for help.

“That falls on all of us who have run before to answer your call,” Dixon said. “And I mean it to answer your call and say, ‘We know someone. I know someone. Let me help you. Let me introduce you. Let me move you along.’ Because this is a group effort, and the Democrats do it.”

Democrats, namely Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, have taken to calling Republicans “weird.” But Noem reasoned that the concerns Republicans are bringing to the forefront on border control and axing taxes get to the heart of what just about every household in America is concerned about: health, safety and a future for everyone’s kids.

“I don’t think you have to be philosophical about this election,” Noem said.

She cautioned the crowd to cut through the noise and look at the track record of candidates and share what candidates have said versus what they have done.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – The Road to the Dakota Dome has begun!

High school football kicked off in South Dakota on Friday night with all three classes of 9-Man and 11B getting their seasons underway. The remaining classes of 11-Man will follow next week.

And Football Friday is back on Dakota News Now to bring you all the action, highlights and FUN each and every week!

Our premiere show in the 2024 season featured highlights from 13 games which you can watch in the video viewer above:

-Hot Springs @ Winner

-Elk Point-Jefferson @ Winner

-St. Thomas More @ Sioux Valley

-Woonsocket-Wessington Springs-Sanborn Central @ Bridgewater/Emery-Ethan

-Beresford @ Baltic

-Parkston @ Freeman-Marion-Freeman Academy

-Hanson @ Garretson

-Alcester-Hudson @ Howard

-Warner @ Castlewood

-Avon @ Colman-Egan

-Viborg-Hurley @ Canistota

-Oldham-Ramona-Rutland @ Dell Rapids St. Mary

-Sioux Falls Lutheran @ Irene-Wakonda

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A unanimous decision by the South Dakota Supreme Court this week cast doubt on whether a carbon dioxide pipeline company is eligible to use eminent domain to build a pipeline in that state.

The ruling focused on Summit Carbon Solutions’ ability to survey land against the wishes of landowners, but the justices said Summit’s multistate project might not qualify as a “common carrier,” a requirement for eminent domain.

Summit intends to build a 2,500-mile pipeline network in five states, including Iowa, to transport captured carbon dioxide from ethanol producers to North Dakota to be pumped deep underground. The project would make the company and the ethanol plants eligible for generous federal tax credits that reward carbon sequestration and the production of low-carbon fuels.

The use of eminent domain — a government mechanism that allows the company to force unwilling landowners to host its pipeline — is a primary source of opposition to the project.

Summit requested eminent domain for about a quarter of its initial 690-mile route in Iowa, where state regulators have approved its use.

The South Dakota justices also questioned whether Summit would be transporting a commodity. Other pipelines transport gas and oil, for example, which are sold to fuel appliances and vehicles.

The South Dakota court, in its consideration of an early, lower court ruling, said Summit has not yet provided enough evidence that it is “holding itself out to the general public as transporting a commodity for hire.”

“It is thus premature to conclude that (Summit) is a common carrier, especially where the record before us suggests that CO2 is being shipped and sequestered underground with no apparent productive use,” the Supreme Court ruling stated.

The justices reversed the decisions of two circuit courts and directed them to resume the litigation over whether Summit is a common carrier that can conduct pre-condemnation land surveys.

State rules differ

Summit has long maintained that the carbon dioxide it transports will go underground as a means to deplete the amount of the greenhouse gas in the atmosphere.

Some of those who oppose the project have suspected the carbon dioxide would eventually be used to extract more oil from depleted reservoirs, which Summit has rebuffed.

But that type of use might make it qualify as a commodity. The gas also can be used for other commercial purposes, such as the production of dry ice or methanol fuel.

“We are evaluating the South Dakota Supreme Court’s decision and look forward to providing the information requested to the district court that reaffirms our role as a common carrier, and that CO2 is a commodity,” said Sabrina Zenor, a Summit spokesperson.

Summit was successful in arguing it is a common carrier in Iowa, which has different standards for the classification.

When the Iowa Utilities Commission approved the project in June, it said, in part: “All that is required for a pipeline to be vested with the right of eminent domain is that the pipeline company reserve 10 percent of its capacity for walk-up shippers.”

Minnesota does not allow eminent domain for carbon dioxide pipelines.

South Dakota is a crucial state for the Summit project. It has the second-most ethanol producers of the five states — 15 of them — and is a conduit between Iowa and North Dakota. Iowa has 30 ethanol producers that have agreements to be part of the project.

Summit has said its project isn’t feasible without approval in South Dakota.

South Dakota utility regulators denied Summit’s first request for a pipeline permit about a year ago because its route violated county zoning ordinances. The company has said it will reapply with a different route but has not disclosed when.

Opponents of the project cheered the South Dakota decision. The Sierra Club of Iowa, a leading organizer of that opposition, noted: “Without eminent domain powers, Summit’s path forward is insurmountable.”

Comments: (319) 368-8541; jared.strong@thegazette.com