With Governor Dennis Daugaard standing in the way of Medicaid expansion, raising the minimum wage, and investing in our kids, Joe Lowe is seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Daugaard this November. Get to know Joe Lowe through his candidate profile below:
Joe Lowe is a Rapid City businessman with an outstanding record of leadership and an unwavering commitment to Democratic Party values.
He wants South Dakota to immediately adopt the Affordable Health Care Act’s expansion of Medicaid to provide health care for 48,000 low income South Dakotans and calls Governor Daugaard’s refusal to do so short-sighted and mean-spirited. 
He supports a complete overhaul of budget priorities in Pierre so South Dakota can start paying teachers a competitive wage compared to surrounding states.
He supports a complete overhaul of the state’s failed economic development policies. “We have tried a policy of low wages for 50 years and have proven that it does not work. Also, the Governor needs stop wasting our tax dollars by giving a five million dollar exclusive contact to an out of state employment firm that produced only 100 jobs at a cost of one million dollars. This is just one example of the poor decisions he makes about economic development. Instead of economic development, we must shift the focus to people development.”
Lowe said a strong Governor is needed to challenge a Legislature that has become distracted. “We need a Governor who will go up to the third floor the Capitol and compel them to abandon their ultra conservative agenda and get to work on a South Dakota agenda.”
Joe is most widely known for his service as the state’s Fire Chief, having worked his way up through the ranks. He was Division Director /Fire Chief for the South Dakota Division of Wildland Fire Suppression for 11 years and turned South Dakota’s fire agency into a nationally recognized fire agency. He was also selected to be an Incident Commander for one of the 33 Type II National Incident Management Teams that responds to large natural and man-made disasters. Joe would always stand between the citizens of this state and any large-scale disaster.
He is an accomplished photographer who owns and operates a gallery in downtown Rapid City.
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You can find more information about Joe Lowe’s campaign for governor at joeloweforsdgovernor.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Joe-Lowe-For-South-Dakota-Governor/600323146708536
Rep. Susan Wismer (D-Britton) is also running for the Democratic nomination for Governor. You can find more information about Rep. Susan Wismer’s campaign for governor at susanforsd.com or by following her on twitter at @susanforsd.