Category: Uncategorized

SDGOP Press Release: Dan Lederman to Lead SDGOP

Pat Powers

LEDERMAN TO LEAD SDGOP

Pierre, SD – February 11, 2017 – Today, the South Dakota Republican Party elected Dan Lederman of Dakota Dunes to lead the SDGOP for the next two years.

“As I traveled across South Dakota talking to County Parties, it’s clear that county leadership is ready to play a more active role in the State Party,” said newly elected Chair Dan Lederman. “Republicans in South Dakota have been very successful in recent years and with additional help from grassroots in our state, I’m confident we can continue to improve on that success,” added Lederman.

More than 100 Central Committee Members traveled from 35 Counties to take part in the election, many for the first time.

“I would like to thank Pam Roberts for her hard work throughout these last two years as well as Governor Daugaard for the tremendous resources he’s contributed to the Party,” said Chair Lederman.

Governor Daugaard urged Republican Party members to get behind whoever won the election.

“The SD GOP is strong because we are unified, and we are fortunate to have so many great people willing to serve,” said Governor Daugaard. “I congratulate Dan Lederman and the other state officers on their victory, and I thank Pam Roberts for her hard work over the past two years. I hope the enthusiasm from this leadership election energizes our party as we look ahead to the crucial 2018 election,” added Daugaard.

Chair Lederman will begin his term immediately and has called a Special Central Committee Meeting to be held at the end of February to adopt a budget and goals for 2017.

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Russ Janklow comes aboard Team Jackley for 2018 Campaign

Pat Powers

Gubernatorial Scion Russ Janklow was announced today as Campaign Treasurer for gubernatorial hopeful Attorney General Marty Jackley, in an effort to make up the fundraising deficit Jackley faces against Congresswoman Kristi Noem:

Russ Janklow’s presence on the campaign could help Jackley overcome a potential weakness in the area of fundraising. Noem, following the transfer of $1.6 million from her congressional account, ended the year with $1.8 million on hand – a sizeable lump of money for a primary that is still more than a year and a half away.

“We’re very pleased with where we are financially overall and with how things came together at the end of the year,” Noem spokesman Justin Brasell said in a statement. “Kristi continues to persuade new people to join our team every day. Kristi is taking nothing for granted and is out there working hard for every vote just like she always has.”

Jackley ended the year about $800,000 behind Noem.

Read it all here.

And another article on the State Party chair race (but this is the best one.)

Pat Powers

Another article on the election tomorrow for the GOP state chair has come out. 

And by the looks of it this one is the best of all. (Maybe I’m just saying that because I’m extensively featured in it.)

Typically, the governor has recruited the party chair, said Pat Powers, who runs South Dakota War College, a conservative blog. This is the first time in decades that State Central Committee members who gather Saturday in Pierre, South Dakota, will have a choice.

GOP Gov. Dennis Daugaard supports Roberts, and said it’s unusual for two people to be interested in the position that is typically only filled by persuasion.

“In most of the cases there’s not a matter of which candidate is going to win. It’s a matter of who can be persuaded to bear this burden,” he said.

Powers said with roughly 250,000 registered Republicans in South Dakota, competition for the post isn’t inconceivable.

“It’s a healthy thing,” Powers said. “Oh darn. Republicans have choices.”

Read it here.

Another article on GOP Chair Race, this time from the Argus Leader. Check it out.

Pat Powers

The Argus weighs in with their take on the GOP Chairmanship race. And actually, it’s a very good article, well worth the read:

For decades the governor’s seal of approval has been an effective appointment to be confirmed by the committee. Candidates lobbied the governor for his endorsement and on a few occasions unendorsed candidates have continued but pulled out hours before the vote.

“By the time the voting started there was only one candidate standing,” said Frank Brost, a former chief of staff to Govs. George S. Mickelson and Walter Dale Miller and longtime member of the GOP Central Committee. “I can’t remember in my lifetime a race that was contested going into the convention.”

Daugaard told reporters that he liked Roberts’ modesty, along with her hard work and strong track record in the role.

“Pam very clearly is a very capable, unselfish candidate that I would wholeheartedly support and look forward to helping her in her role over the next two years,” Daugaard said.

Holien said the party was ready for a change and that during the time he and Lederman worked together in the South Dakota Senate he found Lederman to be a straight shooter and strong advocate for the GOP.

“In politics you learn the people who will stand by their word and stay true to it, and Dan did that,” he said.

Check it out here at the Argus Leader.

US Senator John Thune’s Weekly Column: My Work on the Next Farm Bill Begins Today

Pat Powers

My Work on the Next Farm Bill Begins Today
By Sen. John Thune

Most Americans don’t realize the important role agriculture plays in our daily lives. They can easily hop in their car, drive across town where pre-packaged meat, produce, and other items are waiting for them on the shelves at their local grocery store. Everything is easily accessible, ready to be purchased and brought home to fill refrigerators and pantries.

Ask a South Dakotan about agriculture, and you’ll hear an entirely differently story. Farming and ranching make agriculture our state’s top industry. It’s an opportunity to provide for one’s family. It defines a lifestyle. The hard-working farmers, ranchers, and entrepreneurs throughout South Dakota are among the people responsible for making sure there’s food in America’s grocery stores, restaurants, and schools. And they’re proud of it, too.

Neither farming nor ranching is an easy way to make a living. There’s plenty of blood, sweat, and tears to prove it. It’s not a nine-to-five, stress-free job either. They’re often up before the sun rises and home after it sets. The dirt literally runs through their hands as next week’s weather forecast weighs heavy on their mind. As if farming and ranching aren’t hard enough during the best of times, today’s record low commodity and livestock prices have made it even more difficult. 

We’re less than two years away from needing to pass the next farm bill, and given today’s market conditions, it’s not too early to start working on it. Our top priority must be to make production agriculture more sustainable by keeping farmers and ranchers on their land. We can work toward achieving that goal by enacting policies that could help prices rise above production costs, bolster commodity programs, protect soil health, preserve crop insurance, and simplify and streamline conservation programs.

I feel strongly about making sure we get this right, which is why I’ll soon be unveiling multiple farm bill proposals that will address specific portions of most titles of the overall bill – well in advance of any deadline. I think these individual proposals are an important place to start. Once we begin the rollout, I look forward to hearing from South Dakotans about what they think of my proposals and if there are any areas in which we can improve.   

I’ve written three farm bills during my time in Congress, having served on both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees. Next year’s bill will be my fourth. I know what it takes to get these farm bills across the finish line, and I know the farmers and ranchers who will be affected once we do. After having recently met with former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, who will soon lead the U.S. Department of Agriculture, I’m confident we’ll have a strong partner who also understands these high-stakes times.

Our work begins today. 

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