And a couple of new pins for my collection

I received a package yesterday of pins I’d ordered  with a few I didn’t have. Most notably, a Kneip pin, and a tab for “Allmon for Congress.”

It’s unthinkable today to imagine that state Republicans could support a South Dakota Democrat candidate enough for them to issue a pin of this nature, but back in those olde-timey days, when Democrats attempted to appeal to more than Union Members, pot smokers and hippie liberals, they actually issued a campaign pin for Republicans who supported the last Democrat to hold the office of Governor.

And we also have the tab for “ALLMON for Congress.”  I had to ask, “Who?” as I’d never heard of this guy, but he actually was a Democrat of note at one time, and served as Rapid City’s Mayor before running for Congress. From his bio:

He was a Democratic candidate in 1966, as a representative for the Second Congressional district of South Dakota.  In the fall of 1971, Governor Dick Kneip named Jack the director of the State Highway Department.  He resigned as mayor and commuted from Rapid City to Pierre for the next six years.  In the fall of 1974, Governor Kneip named Jack the secretary of Tourism and Economic Development.

Read it all here.

And in the 1966 race, Ellis Yarnal (EY) Berry defeated Jack P. Allmon 60.5% to the Democrat’s 39.5%