Author: @SoDakCampaigns

I’d heard this a couple of hours ago, and as confirmed by a report in the Argus Leader, Steve Haugaard has been ill with COVID-19:

Speaker of the House Steve Haugaard, R-Sioux Falls, told the Argus Leader Monday that he spent the last two weeks dealing with a severe case of the coronavirus that’s infected thousands of South Dakotans in recent months.

“It’s been the most devastating stuff I’ve ever had in my life,” said the 64-year-old Sioux Falls attorney.

Read the entire story here.

Please keep Steve in your prayers for a speedy recovery.

You really don’t know how extreme some officeholders are until they show it.

Because in a postcard that was sent to me last night, a group of Republican officeholders are apparently so unhinged they’re breaking ranks and abandoning the GOP in the District 35 State Senate race:

Sens. Julie Frye-Mueller & Phil Jensen and State Reps. Tina Mulally and Tony Randolph, along with several other apparent “Republicans In Name Only” seem to not like the fact that State Senator Jessica Castleberry serves in the seat, and overwhelmingly won in the Republican Primary.

Because despite her 100% pro-life rating from SDRTL, 100% pro-business score from business group Elevate Rapid City, and A Rating/Endorsement from the National Rifle Association…

…apparently State Senator Jessica Castleberry isn’t extreme enough for this herd of RINO’s.  So they’re rejecting the choice of the voters of the Republican Party, and leaving the fold.

As one local party official noted to me “I think it’s shameful that four (4) sitting GOP legislators and the current Vice Chair of the Pennington Co. GOP would endorse an Independent candidate. These sitting legislators routinely complain that the GOP should somehow police the ranks to deny support for those they believe to be RINOs.”

I guess we know who the phonies are that these legislators believe the party should police. Themselves.

—

Update – When Republicans are faced with a cancer from within, and a group that wants to reject the voice of the voters, it’s a good opportunity to rally support, and remember why real Republicans work together.

Make a point to go out and support Senator Castleberry, and send her a donation to help her voice be heard. Today!

I haven’t found out who did it yet, but apparently one of my posts has made the paper. The Milbank Shopper paper, that is:

Someone took my post about D4 Candidate Becky Holtquist being a COVID Karen and shunning Milbank for Ortonville, Minnesota, and put it in an ad in this weeks’ Milbank Shopper paper.

I actually have no idea who did that, and we won’t know until the PAC filings come in and we can see who “Friends of Milbank Area Businesses” is.

But I imagine that isn’t going to help Becky’s standing in the Milbank community.

Update –

Hrm. It sounds like they might have used it as the basis of a card that went with the shopper paper. It was not me, so I have no idea who is behind this one, although, I would note that it’s really not in line with fair use principles, and it certainly was not done with permission.

You don’t see this everyday from a state legislative candidate. But, it has kind of become expected from District 7 Democrat House candidate Louise Snodgrass:

https://www.tiktok.com/@loudang/video/6863872871538724102?_d=secCgsIARCbDRgBIAIoARI%2BCjwoG1lmjRtqVgALo%2B%2FvwHEUvN72bn7MmONj7O%2BLADRhr9Xqpfd6C9S4wpgZJHotMFsVHGgEDG3lWkHLOmcaAA%3D%3D&language=en&preview_pb=0&sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAA2HKi93pdT8Hac1GjHFCbsLDggVC0lrxlPktysQcsiF1jgMRXswgtdewO9GdaWJDc&share_item_id=6863872871538724102&share_link_id=75062824-4F74-4E87-B8AC-51B65B244ED3&timestamp=1602959539&tt_from=sms&u_code=d8c26hd5g02a09&user_id=6739318454056272901&utm_campaign=client_share&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=sms&source=h5_m&sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6884720849120511494&is_from_webapp=1

I don’t think many other candidates are encouraging people to get out to vote by dancing to W.A.P. (link NSFW, btw). As I noted to the Sioux Falls candidate who pointed it out to me, she’s done nutty stuff before, but I think she’s outdone herself here.

US Senate Candidate Dan Ahlers appears to be tardy on turning in his FEC report that was due yesterday, and providing “a lot of non-disclosure” on what he’s raised and spent during the third quarter of fundraising.

Considering he hasn’t been able to crack 25k in receipts raised in a reporting period, he might be keeping it under wraps because he know it might mean the end of his campaign.

But still, financial disclosure is good for open government.

From the Mitchell Daily Republic, sad news regarding former Republican state legislator Lance Carson, who passed away from COVID on Wednesday:

Former South Dakota state legislator Lance Carson died Wednesday, Oct. 14, after a brief battle with COVID-19. He was 74.

Carson was elected to the South Dakota House of Representatives in 2007 and served for eight years. He represented District 20, which covers Jerauld, Davison and Aurora counties.

and..

“If you knew his history, he had his first heart attack in his 30s. He served in Vietnam,” Rozum said. “He’s gone through a lot, he would be the last guy you’d ever want to get COVID because of all the underlying issues at the time.”

Carson had health battles throughout his life, showing a continued toughness that his peers admired. He had multiple heart attacks, including that first one at age 38, and in later years wore a heart pump around his waist. He missed time in legislative sessions, dealing with a blood infection in 2013, and in 2017, Carson beat influenza and pneumonia illnesses, including a period where he said he was on life support and lost 25 pounds.

Read the entire story here.

Rounds for Senate 3q FEC Report by Pat Powers on Scribd

Suffice it to say that Mike Rounds for US Senate had a good fundraising quarter. (If you can’t see the report yet, scribd is being a little funky this AM)

$612,798.12 is funds raised, $364,537 spent, and $2,120,220.54 cash on hand makes for a strong showing this quarter. ($41,484.18 in debt and obligations).  In fact, you can also add to Rounds strong total an additional $112,900 raised this quarter by Rounds’ Leadership PAC (the Peter Norbeck PAC) who is also contributing $175,635 cash on hand to the kitty.

Over two million versus the fact that his opponent Dan Ahlers has yet to file his report.. I’m betting it’s not going to me anywhere near as strong.

Ever wonder how Minnesota compares to South Dakota in terms of state policy driving the economy? Center of the American Experiment and economist John Phelan will be in Sioux Falls at the Hilton Garden Inn Sioux Falls (Downtown) on October 23rd for a conversation on how state policy can determine who comes out ahead.

In the program, Phelan, an economist at Center of the American Experiment compares the economic performances of neighboring counties on either side of the Minnesota border. John will share his findings on Minnesota and South Dakota, and discuss the insight it gives us into the economic impacts of state policies.

Again, the event is on Fri, October 23, 2020 from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM CDT. The presentation will begin at noon.

Your ticket includes lunch, a FREE American Experiment wine glass, a copy of John’s just-released report, and a subscription to Thinking Minnesota magazine.

You can register for the lunch event here ($10).

From Facebook, Governor Kristi Noem is one of the many voices who are saying not to put pot in the State Constitution:

From facebook, US Senator John Thune is posting what we all have been noticing as the nomination progresses. Amy Coney Barrett is a remarkable nominee to the US Supreme Court!