Mitchell, USA - A new billboard in Mitchell says "Jesus cares for the poor - So Do We." The sponsor isn't a church but a group called Grassroot Democrats and the sign adds that "Democrats Make America Stronger."
Grassroot Democrats started the billboard campaign in Sioux Falls in May and plans further billboards in other South Dakota communities as funds allow, The Daily Republic of Mitchell reported.
"It's been phenomenal," Grassroots Democrats chairman Lisa Engels said of the reaction. "We've gotten response from everywhere."
The group is not officially part of the Democratic Party but shares its tenets.
Republican State Sen. Ed Olson said, "I don't think it's positive for a political party to put it up. ...I think it's absolutely critical to keep religion out of government."
Grassroot Democrats executive director Roger Berggren of Sioux Falls said the billboards would encourage moderate and liberal Christians.
"To try to say that Democrats are just going to ignore religion is ignoring part of what makes us us," he said. "We just wanted to highlight our moral values and why we feel strongly about being Democrats."