Mark Mowry

I am Mark Mowry. I consider myself an 'America First' candidate. America First means 1. Unwavering support and adherence to the the U.S. Constitution, trusting in its guiding principles to secure our freedoms, our prosperity, and our self-determination; 2. Faith and religious practices shall not be infringed upon; 3. the nuclear family shall be honored, cherished, and preserved as the bedrock of our society; 4. Strong, thorough, and pervasive practices of the Rule of Law. We support law enforcement personnel who are called to serve and protect our communities and to guard our borders; 5. A style of governance that recognizes We The People first in terms of our freedoms, our prosperity, and our self-determination. I am a musician, songwriter, educator, laborer, gig worker, entrepreneur; with all this going on in my 67 years of living, I haven't much time to be a politician, but now I'm just managing to squeeze it in. The last comment was meant to be humor.

• I am happy to think of myself as a Conservative. Our big mistake has been to veer away from our Conservative values in the first place.
• The values that Conservatives embrace are immortal. Even if the USA were to be snuffed out, still the values set forth by our Constitution will never be snuffed out. But if we fail to 'conserve' the values set forth by our Constitution and the Bill of Rights, we no longer have an America.
• I intend to legislate according to the six objectives stated in the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution: To form a more perfect Union, To establish justice, To insure domestic tranquility, To provide for the common defense, To promote the general welfare, and To secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and to our prosperity. These objectives serve as a template whereby I measure proposals that are brought before my jurisdiction, within my district, and throughout South Dakota.

Local control and local initiative.

I look up to my dad (how I wish he were here to hear me say that!) He was an honest man.
I have many heroes, but I'm far enough in years to know that every person has clay feet.
Statesman I admire include Winston Churchill and Abraham Lincoln.

Honesty, humility, steadfastness, faith

I have a responsibility to listen objectively and to assess proposals according to these guidelines - To form a more perfect union, to establish justice, to insure the domestic tranquility, to provide for the common defense, to promote the general welfare, and to secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and to our posterity -- without falling into groupthink or compromise on issues.

I remember when JFK was assassinated in Dallas.

I 'yarded' cattle off of the auction ring at Presho Livestock Auction from 8th grade and throughout my high school years.

Sometimes it's hard to just let things go.

We must resist going the way of compromise - by that I mean dependencies and tendencies towards federal sponsorship of economic investment, federal programs in education, health, and social services, federal mandates in vogue with global agencies and globalist entities; to maintain a vibrant identity of self-determination within the confines of our state's unique resources would be the sublime description of 'South Dakota Strong'.

I would sponsor the bill to end all bills (this is humor - kinda).
Seriously, when I ask people what their favorite law is I rarely get an answer. I believe that most political activism should originate and be generated from the constituents, but all too often it is generated from lobbyists/legislative research councils and their ilk.

I think we have come to the end of our rope in terms of financial solvency and I fear that there is little that States can do about it until our federal government is reined in.

I am - Proud to be an American from the great state of South Dakota! - Choosing to be on the right side of this battle for our nation regardless of the cost. - Ranch-raised on the White River south of Presho - Married 40 years to Paula Sack - Four grown children - Professional Musician, Award-Winning Journalist/Writer, Educator, Entrepreneur -Built a

          Private Limited Education Company in India

- Have seen the drastic changes that have been made to this Constitutional Republic and feel the

           need to stand up and speak up.

- Surrendered my life to Christ, 1986 What matters most to me is that faith, family, and freedom are protected in my homeland as established by our Constitution. I believe that we are a NOW people – Not Over-Whelmed! I believe that has always been a key to America’s greatness. There are far too many issues facing us today that simply are not acceptable in a free society, yet we are not overwhelmed. I am not over-whelmed!

• I am running on an 'America First' platform typified with Faith, Family, and Freedom! The moorings of our republic are built on the strength of family. I will not vote in a manner that compromises the strength of the nuclear family.
• I prefer small federal government, smaller federal regulatory. I welcome reduced bureaucracy, more local control and local setting of standards -- liberty!
• I support the rule of law. I do not support defunding law enforcement. I believe in the thorough law enforcement and the strong protection of our borders.

Here’s how I see it: The battle being fought is that of Globalism vs. Nationalism. Here’s how I will vote: I will vote AGAINST any proposal that smacks of globalism -- I will vote FOR any proposal that strengthens our states while augmenting our national unity. I’m convinced that we are in the final showdown for either a Constitutional Republic or a socialist regime.
I believe in keeping our nation’s best interests foremost in our international policy decisions, etc. We need to hold the line against a takeover of our Republic from sinister forces.
I will resist the ‘tyranny of the urgent’ wherever it is evidenced, I will refuse to ‘just go along’ with the so-called greater good when it is balanced against the inherent virtues of faith, family, and freedom that are ideal to the American character. As with our forefathers, the choices we make in the days ahead will determine how we will have lived for Destiny.

I admired the way Dad dealt with adversities towards the end of his life, Mom for her relentless desire to live and thrive.

Among the historic and celebrated, I admire Mark Twain's wry sense of humor, Joseph Heller's cryptic insights, Harper Lee's powerful story telling. I admire good writing and good writers.

I admire musicians and songwriters, especially musicians talented enough to actually "speak" through their instruments (SRV, Django Reinhardt come first to mind) and songwriters who "take you there" with their descriptions. I admire the music and the heroic struggle of Blind Willie Johnson.

There is finally only one whose example I would unreservedly choose to follow -- Jesus of Nazareth.

I think 'Forrest Gump' is a masterpiece in capturing the foibles and triumphs in my personal life, the times I've lived in, the bittersweet explanation of our purpose for existence.

I am a doggedly resolute fellow when I consider the cause to be worthy. I look hard and discern for the underlying substance within a matter.

I am honest with myself to recognize that I can be judgmental, pretentious, and vain. I have a sense of humor about it.

I pray about things. I offer them up to God, and I leave the result to him.

I remember the assassination of JFK. I was seven years old.

I worked at Presho Livestock ('Sale Every Saturday') from the time I was 13 until I graduated from Lyman High School. We young fellows penned the cattle after they had been sold 'in the ring'. Of course I also had other summer jobs, but the Presho Livestock job was year-around, and got particularly busy during the 'fall run' of feeder calves that came to the market. During those sales we would often work 12-plus hours. I would get home at midnight and fall asleep with the sound of bawling calves still ringing in my ears. Working at Presho Livestock was something of a family tradition -- my parents and my brothers all worked there at one time or another.

Among my favorite books is 'A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court'. Mark Twain's storytelling is hilarious and charming. I would say he is my favorite author.

I support term limits. South Dakota voters actually approved the measure in the 1990s, but then SCOTUS ruled that states couldn't impose term limits on Congress. I think it's time we used Article V of the Constitution to impose term limits and send the message to SCOTUS that it is acting far beyond is Constitutional boundaries.

What strikes me about the U.S. Senate is that Constitutionally it requires hardly any qualifications except residency, citizenship, and age. Of course its membership is expected to be men (and now women) of good reputation for character, intelligence, insightfulness, industriousness. Unfortunately to that list of good qualities has been added ambition, greed, and grift, which has unfavorably colored the institution in regards to its reputation as a membership of 'Statesmen'.

The benefits of senators having previous experience in government or politics now seem to be most beneficial to the senators themselves rather than to their constituencies. The U.S. Senate has become a huge public-relations campaign to the degree that policy has taken a back seat.

I believe the filibuster is with us to stay. Filibuster rules have been amended from time to time, and so I think that is something I can work with.