Author: @SoDakCampaigns

Monae Johnson and incumbent Secretary of State Steve Barnett are addressing the delegates in their final face-off before the nomination of one of them to office.

In a 52.7% to 47.3% vote, former Attorney General Marty Jackley will be the Republican nominee for Attorney General in 2022.

The visual display of the vote tallies for the Natvig/Jackley Attorney General race crashed after Meade county results were input.

So we are all at ease while they get the system up and running again.

Why do I think Julie Frye Mueller and Taffy Howard are calling the Pillow guy?

DCI Director David Natvig and former Attorney General Marty Jackley stood for consideration at the Republican state convention this afternoon, offering their best arguments as to why they should be chosen over their opponent.

Hang on.. the race will be announced shortly.

The Republican State convention has completed all of the uncontested races, selecting Chris Nelson for PUC, Brock Greenfield for School and Lands, Josh Haeder for Treasurer, and Rich Sattgast for State Auditor.

Now the convention moves to the first contested race – the Attorney General race – first.

Not sure if this is going to be close to a record, but at last count the convention was approaching 700 people through the door.

(687 is the official.. a new record!)

This is nuts! And probably indicative of what will be a very spirited day.

This flyer is being handed out at the door for Haugaard to delegates as they walk in.

Apparently no one bothered with the disclaimer as required by law on printed materials.

Helping Moms and Babies

By: Kristi Noem
June 24, 2022

Today, the Supreme Court announced something that countless Americans have prayed for over the past 50 years: they reversed the Roe v. Wade decision and allowed states to make their own choices over abortion policy. In South Dakota, we have a law on the books that makes abortion illegal immediately, except to preserve the life of the mother.

Now, our focus needs to redouble on taking care of mothers in crisis and getting them the resources that they need for both them and their child to be successful. We also need to make sure that our abortion regulations are tight so that lives will be saved. We are agreeing to call a special session with leadership in the legislature and will have more announcements on that shortly.

Being pro-life doesn’t mean just caring about babies until they’re born – and it doesn’t mean forgetting about moms. We must get help to those who need it. To that end, I have launched a new website: Life.SD.gov. 

This website will help moms through their pregnancy. It will help new parents learn how to be the best parents for their kids. It will provide the best places to get financial assistance for families who are struggling. And it will streamline adoption resources, both for families looking to adopt a child and parents who are looking to give their child to a loving home.

Being a mom to three wonderful kids is the greatest adventure of my life, and I get to re-live it now with my first granddaughter. I want every mom to have the opportunity to experience that adventure for themselves. And if they choose not to, we want them to know that there are other paths available to them.

We will continue looking for ways to streamline adoption. Earlier this year, I worked with the legislature to provide funding for home studies for families looking to adopt. We are also increasing the number of foster families in the state who can help kids in need of a loving home, and the first year of my Stronger Families Together program successfully recruited our target of 300 new foster families statewide.

Every child deserves the right to live, and every child deserves to grow up in a loving home. South Dakota will continue to advance life, defend liberty, and guarantee that every person has the opportunity to pursue happiness. We will help moms and their children – before birth and after.

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With the announcement coming in the last hour of the official convention today, the fringe right has it’s challenger to incumbent Lt. Governor Larry Rhoden.

Steve Haugaard. 

No, really, You can stop laughing. They’ve put up Steve Haugaard?  Fresh off of getting his rear-end handed to him on a 3-1 basis by Governor Noem in the Primary election for Governor, someone had the bright idea to try to force him on the Governor as a running mate?

Steve wasn’t just bad as a gubernatorial candidate, he was awful. He didn’t /couldn’t raise any money, his campaign was non-existent, and he was excruciatingly boring and uninspirational.

I question whether the people who put him up to this are aware that the selection of Republican Candidates at the GOP convention is about putting our best foot forward to win elections? Not putting our foot in the lawnmower as a public display of stupidity.  And coming together in the last hour before the deadline gives good indication how much thought went into this. As in none.

The other thing they might want to consider is that Larry Rhoden is an outstanding Lt. Governor. And an outstanding person. Larry has only gotten better in the job over his term of office, and as people have remarked to me as evidenced in the impeachment hearing this week as they watched it, while the Senate had asked attorney and former Lt. Governor Matt Michels for a technical assist in the unprecedented proceeding, Lt. Governor Rhoden really didn’t need it, despite the new and very technical ground the matter covered.  He knows the job and his performance in it is exemplary.

Delegates should not reward Haugaard’s last-second, slapped together candidacy.

They can and they should dispatch this last-minute nonsense, and give Larry Rhoden four more – and well deserved – years as Lt. Governor.