KELOland claiming no Independent has won for the Legislature in recent memory. Nevermind the ones who have, as well as the major Indy candidate who is throwing her hat in the ring.

Bob Mercer of KELOland filed a story about candidates running for the State Legislature today, and extolled the absolute strength of the GOP, which I have no problem with. It’s when he got into the weeds about other things that the story turned to mush, and Bob wasn’t worried about things ..like accuracy.

Republicans currently have super-majorities in both chambers with 32 seats in the Senate and 62 seats in the House. Their success in fielding candidates for all 105 legislative seats this election has some calling for a clean sweep; Republicans already hold South Dakota’s 10 statewide and three congressional elected offices.

South Dakota voters haven’t elected a Libertarian to the Legislature and no candidate running as an independent has won in recent memory, if ever.

Read that here.

I don’t think anyone bothered to fact check, never-less define “recent memory,” because I know of three who had won running as an independent just off the top of my head shortly before/during my tenure in the political scene.

Mary Wagner served 12 years in the legislature as a Republican. But, she did have a hiccup during her first race in 1980, when her petitions were incorrect, and had to run twice as hard as an Independent. She was the top vote in a 4-way race for House with 4517 votes against/running with Sheldon Cotton (R 4468), leaving Bob Burns (D 4004) and Wayne Hauschild (D, 3784) behind.  Mary was a darned hard campaigner, and won as an Indy.

Democrat Chet Jones found himself in the same boat in 1994 with petitions completed in error. As related in the Argus Leader after the election in his race against a familiar candidate in this years’ elections..

And as for people running in even more recent memory, how about in 2010?  As written by the KELOland article author himself back in the Rapid City Journal ten years ago, what about someone who should be familiar to many Republicans still serving in the State Legislature…

She began as a Republican running as an independent in a difficult district for Republicans — and won. That was two elections ago, when Jenna Haggar of Sioux Falls was elected to the state House of Representatives in 2010.

Read that here.

There may be another one or two I’m missing, but you get the point. If a candidate works hard enough, even as an independent they can certainly be elected.

Why the big deal about mentioning Independents? There’s another one who you probably want to keep an eye on this election, who just opened up her campaign page on Facebook:

Former Cabinet Secretary for the South Dakota Department of Human Services, and recently retired President and CEO for Lutheran Social Services, Betty Oldenkamp is having her first campaign event this Wednesday, April 20th at Josiah’s (From 8-11 am) to collect signatures to get on the ballot as an independent in District 15 House, which currently has Democrats Kadyn Wittman and Linda Duba and Republicans Joni Tschetter and Matt Rosburg all competing for the same two seats.

Betty’s entrance into the race represents the second former cabinet member – joining Tim Reisch – to run for the State House of Representatives.

And running in District 15 as an independent puts her in a unique position where while it might not happen often, an independent has won before.