SD’s Weiland: Democrats sabotaging me

South Dakota Senate candidate Rick Weiland (D) is accusing national Democrats of trying to sabotage his bid by launching attack ads against Republican Mike Rounds.

{mosads}Weiland said during a Monday press conference that the national Democratic Party was “trying to drive votes to [independent Senate candidate] Larry Pressler and trying to drive up my negatives” with the attack ads, according to the Argus Leader.

His comments come as two public polls released over the past few days have shown Rounds regaining a lead in the race; Weiland’s share of the vote has stayed largely static and Pressler has actually lost considerable support, falling back down to the teens.

National Democrats had panned Weiland’s candidacy up until two weeks ago, when both private and public polling showed Rounds to be weaker than expected, due in part to his involvement with a controversial state economic development program currently under federal investigation.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, sensing an opportunity, announced a $1 million investment in the race, which has been used to run ads attacking Rounds on the economic development program.

Pressler, at that time, was surging, and looked to be potentially more competitive with Rounds than Weiland. Pressler, a former GOP senator, hasn’t said which party he’d caucus with if elected, and some have speculated national Democrats would prefer him over Weiland in the Senate.

In a statement, Weiland noted his contentious history with the DSCC and charged that investment was just par for the course.

“Instead of [offering] that assistance you have said I am not your choice, tried to dry up my funds by saying I cannot win, refused to have your DSCC even endorse me, and now you have come into my state with ugly, negative attacks against Mike Rounds, ads that you and every knowledgeable political strategist in America knows hurt me and help Larry Pressler, the longtime Republican who has apparently won your support for his so called independent campaign by whispering that if elected he might vote to help you keep your job as Majority Leader,” Weiland said.

He also asked for the DSCC to “either begin airing positive advertising about my fight against big money, and for the ordinary citizens who our party is supposed to be pledged to support, or else you get out of our state.”

The DSCC isn’t alone in airing attack ads hitting Rounds, however — MAYDAY PAC, an outside group supporting Weiland, has also launched its own attacks on the Republican.

The committee declined to comment on the statement, but the committee’s executive director, Guy Cecil, said during an interview with Bloomberg Politics last week that “we want Weiland to win.”

“We’d prefer Weiland” over Pressler, he said, when pressed.