Just had a note from the Brandon area.

So, the word is Dist 2 candidate for House and California transplant Manuel Luschas seems to be actively campaigning for Frank Kloucek for PUC.  Apparently, his idea of “Republican Values” are to put Democrats in office.

I’m told Luschas’ wife was dropping these packets around the area.  Featuring he, Heather Baxter for Secretary of State, and Frank Kloucek for PUC.

Again, here’s another one who incoming leadership should take notice of.

California Carley 2.0. Except less Republican.

Just checking up on some things that are starting to quiet down.. and look at this.

Disgraced District 25 State Senator Tom Pischke seems to moving towards a plea deal in the case of him being alleged to having committed election fraud:

I seem to notice that the pre-trial conference has been canceled, and a change of plea/sentencing hearing is set for December 7th. (A day that will live in infamy).

Yes, it’s not just Pearl Harbor Day, it’s looking like it might be Tom’s own personal day of infamy.

We will get to see whether he receives a misdemeanor sentence.. or if he becomes a full-blown felon for being an elected official who committed election fraud.

Stay tuned. 

I’ve been seeing a lot of condemnation from the far right for Secretary of State Monae Johnson endorsing Democrat Terrence Davis to be her successor for the office.  But what about when one of their own appears to be endorsing Democrats in the State races.?

I’m told that Republican State Senator Lauren Nelson is actively promoting Democrat Frank Kloucek in the Public Utilities Commission race, against Republican Don Haggar.

As noted by one of my readers:

As a GOP member, I am horrified that our own District 18 senator is actively endorsing democrats over her own fellow republican.  When did the party stop being about electing republicans?  This is just disgusting, but what is worse is that the Yankton GOP is helping her do it.  This needs to stop across the state.  

Accompanied by this material that they received..

Hm.. I was trying to see if that was on her website, and I found this right away, which appears to confirm her allegiance to the Democrat candidate:

And moreso.. go back to the image on the top.. I also noted the recommendations on the flyer which appear to encourage bullet voting for the Democrat in the House race in her District, as opposed to Nelson’s running mates, John Marquardt and Mike Stevens.

With the video definitely being posted by her, and the rest allegedly being distributed by the sitting Republican State Senator.. we’ll have to see how all of this might affect her status in the Senate Republican Caucus the next time they get together.

Update – looks like Democrats are clucking over Lauren Nelson going full-Kloucek.

So, whomever the incoming President Pro Temp of the Senate is will have an easy time determining where they can seat Nelson in the upcoming session.

• Custer: 10 am MT at Calamity Jane’s Kitchen, 512 Mt. Rushmore Rd. #1930
• Rapid City: 12 pm MT at The Hotel Alex Johnson (ballroom), 523 6th St.
• Spearfish: 2:30 pm MT at Perkins (back room), 2301 Colorado Blvd.
• Sturgis: 7 pm MT at Loud American, 1305 Main St.

• Wall: 10 am MT at Wall Drug, 510 Main St.
• Pierre: 5:30 pm CT at Missouri Ave. Event Center, 217 W. Missouri Ave.

• Oacoma: 10 am CT at Al’s Oasis, 1000 E. South Dakota, W. Hwy 16
• Mitchell: 12:30 pm CT at Pizza Hut, 616 E. Havens Ave.

• Sioux Falls: 9 am CT at Campaign HQ, 601 N. Main St.
• Watertown: 12 pm CT at Wheel Inn (back room), 404 10th St. NW
• Madison: 3 pm CT at Dairy Queen, 117 2nd St. NE
• Brookings: 5 pm CT at Fishback Theatre in the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center on South Dakota State University campus, 1601 University Blvd.

Gov. Rhoden Deploys Guardsmen to Southern Border

PIERRE, S.D. –  Today, Governor Larry Rhoden activated the 155th Engineering Company of the South Dakota National Guard (SDNG), who is deploying to the Southern Border. You can find a photo from the activation ceremony here.

“We have the most secure border in American history! But there is still more work to do, and we cannot give up the fight,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “I am proud of our brave guardsmen for serving with strength and courage. Their mission at the border is key to keeping our state and nation strong, safe, and free.”

A secure border prevents the cartels from flooding America with addictive and killer drugs. Fentanyl seizures remain high, with 773 pounds of fentanyl seized in August 2026 – enough fentanyl to kill 175 million people. The 120 guardsmen who make up the 155^th Engineering Company will be deployed for approximately one year and will play an integral role in keeping the Southern Border secure. For the safety of the guardsmen, the actual date of their deployment and specifics of their mission are not public.

Last year, Governor Rhoden visited the 50 guardsmen of the 109^thEngineer Battalion who were previously deployed to the Southern Border.

Governor Rhoden has taken substantial action to support border security throughout his tenure. The first bill he signed into law was SB 7, which banned sanctuary cities in South Dakota. Governor Rhoden has also deployed seven guardsmen assisting United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

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If you have a moment, this is an interesting read that just popped up in my Facebook feed on how South Dakota Democrats didn’t help their credibility as they tried to sell the public favorable polling that was not supported by fact:

Go check it out.

It’s not just a double punch for Brian Bengs – it’s a flurry of body blows as South Dakota remembers it’s roots and prepares to send one of it’s own back to the US Senate, shaking off the carpetbagger dreams of someone who has only lived in the State for 9 years. At least, according to SD News Watch:

Republican Sen. Mike Rounds leads Independent challenger Brian Bengs 56% to 37%, according to the latest South Dakota Poll sponsored by News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota.

The Oct. 12-14 survey of 500 likely voters by Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy, ranked as one of the least-biased and most-factual pollsters, also found that 62% of independents support Bengs, while 30% support Rounds and 8% of independents are undecided.

and..

“The Bengs campaign (has) spent over $100,000 on polling from various pollsters to get an accurate read of where the race is. Some have us up, some have us down. But the fact is that Mike Rounds’ allies wouldn’t be dumping so much money into this race if they really thought it was safe,” Clara Bronikowski, a representative from the Bengs campaign, said to News Watch in a statement.

and..

“Rounds is the junior senator. He also was a beloved governor who did really well as governor. That protects him, but he also really stays away from some of the more D.C.-esque concerning things. I think Rounds has very purposefully, maybe even strategically, tried to to stay away from falling into that trap, if you will. And so I’m not surprised by by that at all,” Hellwege said.

Read the entire story here.

I’m kind of thinking that Bengs’ $100k that he blew on goofy polling would have been better spent on helping to raise his name ID.

A new poll is out tonight from a group called Quantus Insights which comes on top of the poll recently released by Public Opinion Strategies showing Rounds up by 17%.

Quantus Insights notes that in a poll conducted in Mid-October..

Rounds is trouncing independent candidate Brian Bengs 57% to 36% in the deep-red state, according to a new poll conducted in mid-October by Quantus Insights.

That’s a larger lead for Rounds than many surveys have previously shown; some surveys even showed Bengs with a slight lead.

Read that here.

In slides linked to the story..

Rounds leads by 21 Mike Rounds takes 57.2 percent to Brian Bengs’s 36.5, a 20.7-point lead, with 4.6 percent undecided and 1.7 percent naming someone else. The margin on a difference between the two is about ±8.2, so the lead is decisive at the full-sample level.

The 29 undecided voters break 48 Rounds, 18 Bengs; 34 percent stay undecided. With leaners allocated the ballot is 59.4 to 37.3, Rounds +22.1, with 1.6 percent still undecided.

and..

90.6 percent of voters who picked a candidate say their mind is made up; 7.0 percent could change it. Republicans are the firmest at 95 percent, independents the softest at 80.

Read the polls results here.

At this point, they’re calling for Rounds as “A SETTLED RACE.”

Figuratively, you can stick a fork in the Bengs campaign at this point.

Because that baked potato is done.

You know, the devil tends to always be in the details.   Which makes the 2026 Campaign Finance Report filed by the Minnehaha County GOP kind of interesting.

Because there are no details. None.

Minnehaha County GOP 2026 Report.pdf by Pat Powers

So, according to this report, over the last two years, they received no itemized or unitemized donations…

And nothing from PACs. Or Candidates buying Lincoln Day Dinner ads.. Or anything.

They did have some events.  But somehow, despite renting facilities..  and buying supplies… or buying food for the Lincoln Day Dinner.. or prizes and trophies for golf tournaments…  They managed not to raise or spend anything.

The Republican organization for the largest county in South Dakota is reporting ZERO in expenditures over the course of two years?

And magically they have over $106k in their bank account.

The note that they managed to raise $68,420.95. Without receiving any money or spending any money on anyone or anything over the last 2 years.

Is it just me, or do they need to go back and maybe try that report again?

He claims to be an Indy. He ran as a Democrat. He’s been telling the gullible that he’s also a “Roosevelt Republican.”

Just when you think Brian Bengs ran out of political affiliations to try to claim, it looks like he’s doing another one:

Now US Senate wanna-but will never-be – Bengs appears to be hitching his wagon to the recently formed “Forward Party?” Good grief.

Maybe he should try to revive the “The Rent is Too Damn High” Party for all the good this new movement is going to do for him.