PRIMARY POLITICS: Schultz seeks District 3 Democratic nomination

May 26--Angelia Schultz and Mark Remily, both of Aberdeen, are seeking the Democratic nomination for District 3 Senate. The candidate who receives the most votes faces Republican candidate David Novstrup. The candidates took time out to answer a few of reporter Elisa Sand's questions as part of the American News' series on primary politics.

Angelia Schultz

Age: 42

Education: Bachelor's degree in political science and sociology from Black Hills State University with minor in American Indian studies; completed coursework for master's degree in sociology from South Dakota State University in 2003-04; graduate certificate in South Asia Area Studies from Foreign Service Institute, U.S. Department of State in Alexandria, Va.; graduate certificates in human factors analysis methodology and intelligence from the U.S. Joint Military Intelligence Center, U.S. Department of Defense in Washington, D.C.; and graduate certificates in project management and leadership, virtual team management and advanced interpersonal communications and fundamentals of open source intelligence from the U.S. Department of Defense in McLean, Va.

Employment: Presentation College; Aberdeen American News; BAE-IT Global Analysis; U.S. Department of Defense Intelligence Agency.

Community Service: On the executive council for Good Shepherd Lutheran Church and involved in the children's ministry program; member of the Safe Harbor executive board.

Family: Three children.

Q: Why should primary voters cast their ballot for you?

A. I am a strong, moderate voice for the constituents of District 3. As an experienced professional who has respect on both sides of the political fence, I make value-based, logical decisions instead of relying on heavy-handed partisanship. I have worked in the military and as an intelligence ambassador to the U.S. Department of Defense, so I understand how to work with people who have competing agendas to find that middle-of-the-road solution. I bring to Pierre the perspectives of a woman, a mother, a teacher, a veteran and a moderate, all perspectives which are underrepresented in our state legislature. And above all else, I am a critical thinker and a listener, and because of this, I communicate well. We need more clear communication in Pierre and in reporting home to our constituents. I vow to do just that.

Q: If you had to pick the single most important issue in the primary, what would it be and why?

A: Medicaid expansion is the utmost important issue, because it affects our most at-risk families while they are in their most vulnerable state. We have a crisis of health care coverage, in which nearly 27,000 hardworking South Dakotans earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but they aren't paid enough to qualify for tax credits on health insurance exchange. This puts more than 49,000 South Dakotans at risk, the vast majority of them being children. They won't get access to any affordable health insurance at all, which means they risk not receiving preventative care and urgent care. It means their parents won't receive the proper care they need to stay healthy for their families. A gap in coverage leads to a health and an economic crisis. It doesn't have to be this way -- at least 63 percent of South Dakotans support the expansion, but the state legislature is standing in the way.

Q: What should the state's priority be concerning education?

A: Education is the soundest investment South Dakota can make. It must be a high priority of the state to fund education to ensure that our children are prepared to excel in a highly competitive environment upon graduation. Also, we need well-qualified teachers whom we retain in our schools because we offer a competitive wage. We lose our intellectual capital every time a teacher takes a position in a neighboring state. These are our teachers, graduating from our schools, and we need them teaching our children. Furthermore, we must take a serious, in-depth look at Common Core standards and whether or not they meet the needs of our school districts, from a curriculum standpoint all the way through to the efficacy of standardized testing and whether it measures what we think it does.

Q: Has the state properly responded to concerns about use of the federal EB-5 program and the operation of the Governor's Office of Economic Development? Why or why not?

A: No, I don't believe that it has. There must be accountability and transparency. There must be responsible supervision, so that we can prevent this scenario from ever happening again in our state. The taxpayers deserve it, at the very least.

Q: What experience or personal characteristics set you apart from your primary opponent?

A. I have unique experience that lends itself to working well in government. I am a veteran of the U.S. military and I have worked in the Department of Defense as a civilian officer in executive support. I am educated, detail-oriented and meticulous, and I've excelled in high-pressure, high-stakes environments, which have prepared me for work in the state Senate.

Follow @ElisaSand_aan on Twitter

PRIMARY POLITICS

Today through Sunday, the American News takes a look at what you need to know to make a difference in the voting booth June 3.

-- Today: Schultz and Remily vie for Democratic nomination for the District 3 state Senate seat.

-- Tuesday: Five Republicans on District 23 state House primary ballot.

-- Wednesday: U.S. Senate candidates aiming to run on the Republican ticket tackle the issues.

-- Thursday: Three Democrats on District 1 state House primary ballot.

-- Friday: Candidates fill ballots in races for sheriff.

-- Saturday: School elections, polling stations, list of races.

-- Sunday: Few can topple an incumbent governor.

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