The Hill News

A Republican candidate running against Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.) was found to have a lengthy list of traffic violations, including two arrest warrants.

Keoland (S.D.) News reported Friday that Kristi Noem has had 20 speeding tickets, three stop sign violations, two seat belt violations, and no driver's license. She has also been issued six court notices for failure to appear and two arrest warrants.

{mosads}Traffic violations could play a big part in the campaign -- which features one of the most vulnerable House Democrats running for reelection this cycle.

Herseth Sandlin's immediate predecessor -- Rep. Bill Janklow (R) -- was found guilty of second-degree manslaughter for killing a motorcyclist while speeding. Janklow, a former governor, eventually resigned his seat in 2004. 

Noem said she is "not proud" of her driving record and is working to improve herself.

"Obviously, I'm not proud of my driving record but I been working hard to be a better example to young kids and young drivers out there," Noem told Keoland News.

The GOP candidate said she has been truthful about her driving record and predicted it would become a campaign issue.

"Absolutely, when you enter a race like this you just know your life is gong to be an open book especially with these public records like that too. We've got so many issues to talk about with South Dakota voters that they care about," she said. "I just feel disheartened we're spending time talking about my poor driving record when we could be talking about the economy and jobs."

The warrants were issed when she failed to pay fines on two occasions. Noem said that she has now paid all of her fines. Herseth Sandlin was found to have one speeding violation in 1999, and paid a $73 fine.

Earlier this year in her most recent incident, Noem was pulled over for going 94 miles-per-hour on a highway.

Herseth Sandlin, in a statement to Keoland News, said that elected officials have to be "accountable" and "respect the laws that are made for all of us citizens."