Observations from on the 2026 SDGOP Convention; A convention of relationships.
In the several days of SDGOP Convention weirdness that a number of us experienced, if I had to try to ultimately sum it up to a disinterested observer I would summarize the event as one of relationships. In fact, it might be the best way to explain to someone why the races went as they did. Some candidates were able to build better relationships with delegates, while others were more successful in running precinct candidates with pre-existing relationships, and getting them to show up.
In the Public Utilities Commission race, It was Don Haggar who had been involved in Republican politics and Government for decades versus Peri Pourier. Who has been a Republican for less than 24 months at this point?
It’s bad enough the SDGOP has a former 32-year Democrat as chair; What makes recently switched former Democrat Pourier the more attractive in this contest? Nothing.
The vote reflected that, but it also reflected that Haggar was not a unanimous choice, only defeating her by 10%. Which means that Don has some work to do. And had Jess Bahmuller remained in the race, we might be talking about a different outcome.
The State Treasurer’s race between Heath Shields and Melissa Hull might also be said to be about relationships. But of a different sort.
South Dakota Republican Party Delegates like Outgoing Treasurer Josh Haeder, having elected him twice. So when Shields came in running for the office, using the tactic of trying to take the bark off Haeder’s manner of running that office, that got the ire of some delegates up.
When some unflattering materials in Shields’ background was dropped out there and directed at delegates at the same time that Haeder came out and endorsed Hull, the die was cast. Too many questions on Shields versus Hull who was Haeder’s choice, and the delegates thought together the team of Haeder/Hull did a good job.
State Auditor was a three way contest between GOP activist Catherine Barranco, Tamara Grove, who just lost a Senate Primary in some controversy, and Renae Randall who went to the podium wearing a baseball cap.
And it was’t even a contest. Grove’s last minute bid came in third place. Baseball hat gal came in second, but was a distant second with only 25% of the vote.
And Catherine Barranco whom a vast majority of delegates know in her work with the state party, Republican Women, revitalizing the Teenage Republican Auxiliary, etcetera, walked away with the nomination with over 50% on the first ballot.
The election for the Commissioner of School and Public Lands was even a bigger blowout. There’s not a soul in that convention hall who if they have been involved with the party for any length of time who doesn’t know Brock Greenfield. Brock has been involved for well over 2o years in many capacities, including State Legislator in both the House and Senate.
Again – relationships! They all have a relationship with Brock and like him. Those that don’t voted for the antagonistic James Bialota. Coming out of the election, Brock had the confidence of delegates comprising 81.32% of the vote, missing out on those preferring Bialota at 18.42%.
So while there’s room for growth, you can’t please all of the people all of the time. As noted, they know Brock, and like him. That’s what was important.
I asked others how they viewed the Secretary of State’s race between Monae Johnson, and Heather Baxter, as those who read this website would know I was not on the winning side and no interest in voting for her, because Baxter is largely a puppet of the hand-counting crackpots. Most with a sense of sanity have no interest in seeing election conspiracist Rick Weible as the next Director of Elections.
So why did Republican delegates opt to overturn this office into chaos again? The message to me was that Baxter adopted the Jason Ravnsborg strategy in running for the office. Show up to everything. And to her credit, I did see her a number of times in the last few months in my own home county. The flip-side of the message was that some reported not having interacting with Incumbent Monae Johnson as often. Which makes sense as she has has a job, and has also been under siege by the election conspiracy kooks.
Baxter managed to pull out a win in this race, but is it really a win? Because now she’s on the greater stage, and will have to explain to the 40% of Republicans who voted thumbs down to her, as well as a number of independents and Democrats why they should consider election conspiracy as welcome in that office?
The race for Attorney General is another one that came down to relationships; Two of the three had ran for the office before. All had their own bullet points to appeal to others. For me, Lance, I’ve known for decades since he was in the trenches working for the John Timmer campaign’s West River office in 1992 when I was with the Pennington Co GOP . I was acquainted with his dad, and I certainly like and respect John Fitzgerald’s record on law enforcement. I’ve have done work for his wife Mary in her legislative races. I’ve known Austin Hoffman’s family for some time. His Dad Charlie, His Mom Holly. His brother in law is my dentist. All salt of the earth people.
What to do? It’s a wealth of candidates, and here we are having to pick one from the three.
I think in this contest it was the positive relationships to others in the current Republican organization/delegations that connected Lance Russell to the most delegates who attended. Not everyone voted for him, and he’ll have to win those others through deeds. but there’s no denying he came in with a tremendous head of steam in the first round of voting that propelled him over the top with 57.14% of the weighted vote in Round 2. And in this race, after not getting over the hump in 2018, Lance Russell found himself in the victory chair in 2026.
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How was the convention conducted? That’s another long answer. It had high points and low points.
Early on, it became evident that the people running the convention were providing a mixed bag of service. Organizationally, questions over whether they could pay for the event early on? Hosting events where the VIP was a libertarian campaign organizer who went to trial on drugging a girl and date rape left many including myself just scratching their heads.
In execution, convention was an equally mixed bag.
High Point: I thought the registration process went smoothly. The people were friendly at check-in It was quick, you got your swag bag, and were sent on your way. That was good.
Low Point: The credential messes that spilled over to the convention was a sh*t show, delaying it by over an hour. When they let a few people acting in their own naked self-interest throw a wrench in the process was weak leadership on the party’s part.
High Point: Spencer Gosch did a nice job at the podium, keeping things light and moving.
Low Point: The Saturday invocation. WTF was that? A ridiculously long taped invocation that we were forced to watch on a screen? No one wanted that. They couldn’t find a local pastor? Because that would have been far more appropriate than that mess where you saw Fox-newslike updates on government and the economy scrolling at the bottom. Mark that down as a total fail.
High Point: I actually thought the voting process went well. There was not a lot of fiddling around, and they managed to be quick about it.
Low Point: Welcome to the unfriendly South Dakota Republican Party. Who decided to make this convention a PR disaster inside and out? Setting aside the party’s conflict with self-declared Republican influencer Scot Pressler, and the Chair’s incessant sucking up to him, I’m looking at the local media that was alienated, as related by South Dakota Searchlight:
Pennington County Republican Chairwoman Amy Wagner replied within minutes of receiving Searchlight’s form submission Saturday, writing in an email, “That opportunity is available. There will be a press box in both rooms. You will need to check in at the registration desk to get a press pass.”
and..
Wagner apologized to Searchlight and said, “I didn’t realize that they weren’t going to allow press tonight.” Wagner said it was the decision of “the chairman,” a reference to State Party Chairman Jim Eschenbaum.
The right hand didn’t know what the left hand was doing. That’s an unforced error that lands directly on the chair’s shoulders.
Yet another Low Point: Relating to the prior low point, Let’s not forget the Sergeants at Arms pacing around the crowd, quick to intervene. Was that really necessary?
What was your experience? Kudos? Complaints? The comment section is yours.
