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ity whip. He said that experience demonstrates he has the backbone to change the way things are done.
• "Given the situation we're in at the national level with the national debt and the federal government basically out of control, it's going to take some strong people with strong will and a strong backbone to do something that's going to make a meaningful difference," Rhoden told The Associated Press. "I think my experience in the Legislature and leadership positions have given me that kind of character so I can do something."
• Rhoden said people have been urging him for more than a year to run for the U.S. Senate. Asked how he would differ from Rounds, Rhoden said he will let Rounds "define what he would do and how he would do it."
• Rounds said he's been friends with Rhoden for years and the two worked together while Rounds was governor and Rhoden was a House member.
• "He was one of my best supporters in the Legislature. I could always count on him to work with me on budgets and projects," Rounds said.
• Asked about criticism of his record on budget issues, Rounds said the Legislature passed budgets that spent more than he had recommended five of his eight years as governor.
• As a state lawmaker, Rhoden has been considered a conservative on spending and other issues, including gun rights.
• Rhoden said the federal government has failed to control spending and deal with other issues, such as immigration and border control.
• "Somehow we need to change that way of thinking and get back to the principles our founding fathers believed in, in limited government and personal responsibility," Rhoden said. "It sounds pretty lofty, but maybe I'm just naive enough to believe we can do that."
• He acknowledged that Rounds is the front-runner, but said he believes he can compete with the former governor in the primary.
• Former South Dakota State University political science professor Bob Burns said it has been evident for some time that some conservative candidate would emerge to challenge Rounds in the primary, largely because of discontent with Rounds' budget policies and his refusal to sign a pledge not to raise taxes. Rounds is a formidable candidate because he was a popular governor from 2003 to 2010, Burns said.
• "Governor Rounds has near 100 percent name recognition. He left the governor's post with high approval ratings and continues to have the Mr. Nice Guy image," Burns said.

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