The Democrats' own "mama grizzly"?

This is what Herseth Sandlin had hoped to avoid as she traveled a career arc that seemed almost predestined. In this state, across golden cornfields and rugged ranges, she is political royalty. The daughter of a longtime state legislator, granddaughter of a former governor and a former state secretary of state, Herseth Sandlin is sometimes called “South Dakota’s princess.”

Voters know her simply as Stephanie — a pretty, perky prairie girl who can do no wrong. “South Dakota is a unique place,” she said in her opening debate line. “South Dakotans are special people.”

Nationally, Herseth Sandlin is considered a rising star in her party, the Democrats’ own “mama grizzly” straight out of the heartland. She gained her seat in this Republican-leaning state at age 33 in a 2004 special election to succeed William J. Janklow (R), who resigned because of a manslaughter conviction. She won her last two races in landslides, capturing nearly 70 percent of the vote.

But 2010 is a different time, and Herseth Sandlin, 39, faces her most serious threat yet. Noem, 38, is authentic, tall and lean, soft-spoken but tough, an unabashed conservative who rarely strays off script. She’s a made-for-Fox News star in her own right.