SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – U.S. Senate candidate John Thune (search) will speak at the Republican National Convention (search) in New York City, a National Republican Senatorial Committee official said Friday.
Thune is scheduled to address the convention Monday along with six other Republican Senate candidates from around the nation, the NRSC's Dan Allen said in a telephone interview.
Convention organizers aren't sure exactly when Thune will make his speech.
He and the others will be introduced by Sen. George Allen (search), head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Dan Allen said.
The other senators will include Pete Coors of Colorado, Jim DeMint of South Carolina and George Nethercutt of Washington state and others, Allen said.
Thune, after losing a close race to Sen. Tim Johnson two years ago, announced early this year that he would take on the Senate Democratic leader, Tom Daschle, in this year's contest. The campaign has cost millions and is on political radar screens across the country.
U.S. House candidate Larry Diedrich said he has been invited to address delegates at the GOP convention as well. His remarks are scheduled for late morning on Monday, he said.
"I'm honored that I was invited to speak at the Republican National Convention," Diedrich said in a release. "This is a chance for me not only to brag about South Dakota but to tell the Republican Party about our issues, about what's important to South Dakota."
Diedrich faces Democratic Rep. Stephanie Herseth in the November general election. He lost to Herseth by just over 3,000 votes in a June 1 special election to fill the term of Republican Bill Janklow, who resigned after a criminal conviction.
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