Candidate for Mayor Jolene Loetscher twists opponents words when he says he wants to keep race positive

Pat Powers

The full voicemail that Mayoral Candidate Paul TenHaken left for his opponent Jolene Loetscher seems to show a different story than she has been portraying to the media over the past few days.

KELO News has a transcription of the message, and contrary to a anti-TenHaken narrative they had in a previous story, the real story seems to be one where TenHaken expresses regret over the negative tone that his (supposed) friend Jolene was adopting in the Mayoral contest:

TenHaken says he’s been friends with Loetscher for 15 years and the phone call was not malicious in any form.

“After the campaign started getting negative several months ago, I called and said listen we’re friends, let’s not do this the voters don’t want it, I have negative tools in my toolbox I could use but I’m not going to because that’s not the right thing to do, let’s not do this let’s stay above it,” TenHaken said.

and…

If you’d like to read the entire message, we’ve transcribed it for you below.

“Hey Jo, Paul TenHaken calling um’ just was calling about the calling me out on social here um I was really hoping we weren’t going to go here with this sort of stuff, because I consider you a friend this is not even a story you know that I’m not invading people’s privacy. I was hired by a client to track down somebody who was libeling his family so I’m sorry that it’s gotten to this I obviously have these sorts of tools in my toolbox too but I’m choosing not to use them, ’cause I just don’t think a mayor’s race has to come to this, I’m a little disappointed to be honest with you but I understand that you want to do this, I’ll respond to your post here and post some comments um so just kind of bummed out wish we werent’ coming to this so um anyway I’ll see you later today at the debate.”

 Read the entire story here.

If Paul is guilty of anything, it’s probably being too trusting that people running for office will side with the angel on their shoulder.

29 thoughts on “Candidate for Mayor Jolene Loetscher twists opponents words when he says he wants to keep race positive”

  1. That certainly flips the narrative in the Rotary debate. Paul was clever to let her hang herself and not say anything.

  3. Letcher the Liar! This woman is totally corrupt and unethical. Drain the swamp. Vote her out!

  4. Loetcher has many ethical problems and skeletons in her closet. She chose to take this campaign in the gutter, where she lives.

    1. Thanks. That’s what I was wondering since I know so little about either candidate and couldn’t find a party affiliation for her. As soon as I read the entirety of the voicemail left by TenHaken, I all but assumed she must be a democrat…very, very typical. One would think that the current swamp-powered fiascoes going on in DC would have told Ms. Loetscher not to go down this road, but that’s the kind of great intellect one would kind of expect from a candidate who would put out such non-serious, valley girl-styled photos of herself thru her campaign. I want “serious” for a mayor…not what I refer to as being “cutesy-cute.”

  6. “…..you know that I’m not invading people’s privacy. I was hired by a client to track down somebody who was libeling his family so I’m sorry that it’s gotten to this I obviously have these sorts of tools in my toolbox too but I’m choosing not to use them….”

    So Paul is doing something when he says “not invading?” A client? I thought he left ClickRain? And as far as “sorts of tools,” well, tools are acquired they generally not given to one, as Paul suggests….

  7. “I’ve got dirt on every candidate, all seven of them.”

    Why would a guy collect dirt if he isn’t thinking about using it? Character means you act the same way in public as you do in private. This quality is increasingly short supply. I was impressed by this campaign in the beginning, not so much now.

    1. Because if you are the candidate, you have people telling you everything under the sun. Some have an agenda, some don’t. That’s why candidates might be better off not going there.

  8. well this certainly isn’t what Jo portrayed it to be. Glad the actual transcript came out. A nice lesson for all us at the college to not leave any message on their opponent’s voicemail.

  9. Content Warning: This comment may hurt some reader’s feelings. No need to worry, there are safe spaces available and counselors to help comfort one’s inability to cope.

    Jolene Loetscher is fake news.

  13. What’s missing here is that Jolene was hacked immediately after the voicemail. A threat is a threat no matter how softly stated and veiled. Yesterday Paul stated that what he meant by his comment to Jolene about tools his tool box was that he had dirt on all the candidates. She understood him correctly, and was justified in being concerned. Who knows who hacked Jolene, but law enforcement is obviously taking it serious, and it turns Paul was intending to threaten as admitted yesterday when he connected tools/toolbox to dirt. And not just on her, but on good Republicans like Greg Jamison and Jim Entenman. When you make dumb comments like that, people will probably be suspicious.

    1. Are you for real? Did you even read the full transcript of his voicemail to her, which was inspired by a comment originally from her and a reaction to her words? He was calling as a friend, asking for some decency. There’s no threat real or implied. Jo is pulling this crap straight from the Tommy D school of nasty political carpet bombing. Just look at the troop of supporters she trotted out, many of whom have been through the Tommy D school on how to play the victim and blame any and everyone you think it might stick to. There’s no there there and she knows it. But it makes for good theater and apparently all that time on TV has taught Jolene how to play her part perfectly. Too bad for her the facts just keep getting in the way. End result: Paul wins this thing in a landslide.

  15. Very interesting that he said yesterday he had dirt on all the candidates. He tried to take it back today saying people just offered it up and he passed. But in the heat of the moment he said he had dirt, and he seemed very convincing and proud of it. It’s a very passive way of implying there’s dirt without having to get his hands messy — like Trump always saying “people say (fill in the blank.)”Just like it’s easy to be all aw shucks to Loetscher when the message was I’ve got tools in my toolbox I could use against you so don’t question me again.

  16. I don’t know either of these people and don’t live anywhere close to Sioux Falls as well as I don’t care who wins. I think this is huge unforced error made by TenHaken.

    1. Oldguy, you forgot to tell us why. Why do you think it was an unforced error for Paul to keep the dirt on Jo to himself? She was suppose to be his friend, but instead put her needs above that friendship and started to throw mud. Paul has been given information that could damage Jo’s credibility and told her about it; told her he didn’t want to play dirty like she was. Paul could tell the public about the dirt on Jo, but he won’t because he seems to have more of a moral compass and compassion for other’s feelings.

      1. I can understand calling her but if they are friends why leave a VM why not just say please call me back.

        1. When I call my friends and they don’t answer, I leave them a VM. Seems logical to me. I’m more curious about your claim… I think this is huge unforced error made by TenHaken.

  18. You’re falling for it. There’s no dirt on Jolene just like there wasn’t any on Jim or Greg or Kenny. Just a bunch of double-talk about having it/but not using it/but I do have it! But I won’t use it! And hey let’s play nice, but hey did you hear Huether is going to be Entenman’s chief of staff? Enough already.

      1. Well you are a liberal Democrat and getting attacked by the Argus you know your campaign is TOAST!

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