Category: Uncategorized

PUC schedules leadership elections Nov. 6

PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission will elect new leadership at their regular meeting on Nov. 6, 2025, at the request of Chairman Gary Hanson. Current Vice Chairman Chris Nelson is expected to be nominated for the role of chairman. Commissioner Kristie Fiegen is expected to be nominated for the vice chairperson position. The meeting will begin at 2 p.m. CSTin Room 413 at the State Capitol in Pierre.

Hanson is currently serving in the commission’s top leadership spot, a role he has held on many occasions since first being elected to the PUC in 2002. Hanson also held the chairman’s seat in 2005, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2019 and 2020.

Hanson proposed the leadership change as he began treatments for cancer, which was detected earlier this month. “It is sensible to turn the leadership reins of the commission to my very capable fellow commissioners as I enter this new phase,” Hanson said. “I expect to be fully engaged and fulfill my duties as a public utilities commissioner during this time,” he continued.

Hanson’s treatment will be directed by a team of medical professionals in his hometown of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. “I am encouraged and impressed by the many doctors and medical staff I have met during this journey so far. Their knowledge and skills combined with my own determination and the support of my family and friends will result in what I expect to be a positive outcome.”

Nelson has served on the PUC since January 2011 and has carried the gavel as the PUC’s chairman in 2012, 2015, 2016, 2021 and 2022. He is a board member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) and the Organization of MISO States. Nelson is also a member of the Electric Power Research Institute Advisory Council and the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service. Prior to joining the PUC, Nelson served as the South Dakota Secretary of State for eight years.

Fiegen’s tenure with the commission began in August 2011. She holds leadership positions in the Southwest Power Pool regional transmission organization, the Gas Technology Institute’s Public Interest Advisory Committee and the NARUC Committee on Gas. Her public service career includes four terms in the South Dakota House of Representatives.

For more information about the Public Utilities Commission, visit the agency’s website at puc.sd.gov.

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Senator Taffy Howard’s committee, the Legislature’s Government Operations and Audit Committee, was today demanding that the Secretary of State appear in front of their committee with regards to a contract between the office and voting equipment vendor KNOWiNK.

It appears as if the election goofballs at SD Canvassing have been planning on hijacking the meeting, since they made a graphic up for it and had posted the following to social media in the last few weeks…

..making specific note to mention they claim it could “connect to George Soros,” as if that’s going to make them sound more sane?  Keep in mind that this is the same group that’s running Heather Baxter for SOS because Baxter is willing to indulge their nuttery, and Secretary of State Monae Johnson isn’t.

Unfortunately for the election conspiracists, the Secretary of State had actual work to do today, as she noted in a statement the office released to the media:

“We’ve consistently answered every question GOAC has asked over the past several months, and many of the current topics are rehashing issues we’ve already addressed.

My staff and I are at a county auditor training that has been scheduled for two years. The staff who would accompany me to GOAC would also be testifying, but they are attending this training.

We have not been served a subpoena and therefore have not seen any specific requests. Once we are formally served, we will review and respond accordingly.

In the meantime, I am fulfilling my duties by serving the people of South Dakota and help training the county auditors I work with daily.”

I’ll have to go back and listen to the audio, but given that Taffy was part of the group that is demanding that the governor cut spending by 5%, after she was personally proposing an entire package of new taxes, one would think she has more important work to do than to indulge a special interest group’s goofiness.

Gov. Rhoden Secures Additional Funds to Keep Mount Rushmore Lights On Amidst Shutdown

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Larry Rhoden announced he secured additional funding to keep Mount Rushmore National Memorial illuminated amidst the ongoing government shutdown.

“Mount Rushmore is a beacon of freedom for our state, nation, and the world. Our Founding Fathers pledged their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to defend American freedom and independence – the least we can do is shine a light on that freedom by keeping our great Memorial lit,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “I am grateful for the South Dakotans who have stepped up to financially support these efforts. Now, Senate Democrats need to get their act together and reopen the federal government.”

Governor Rhoden previously announced that he and other state leaders began personally funding the evening lights at Mount Rushmore, including a week-long sponsorship by Governor Rhoden. As the shutdown continues to progress, the following individuals have pledged to cover additional days of illumination:

Oct. 30 and 31: Lieutenant Governor Tony Venhuizen;
Nov. 1: First Lady Sandy Rhoden;
Nov. 2: Former Senate Majority Leader Gary Cammack;
Nov. 3: Representative Terri Jorgenson;
Nov. 4: Attorney General Marty Jackley;
Nov. 5: Secretary of State Monae Johnson;
Nov. 6: State Auditor Rich Sattgast;
Nov. 7: State Treasurer Josh Haeder;
Nov. 8: School and Public Lands Commissioner Brock Greenfield;
Nov. 9: Public Utilities Commissioner Chris Nelson;
Nov. 10: Public Utilities Commissioner Kristie Fiegen;
Nov. 11: Public Utilities Commissioner Gary Hanson;
Nov. 12: Senator Ernie Otten;
Nov. 13: Senator Amber Hulse;
Nov. 14: Representative Liz May; and
Nov. 15: Representative Tina Mulally.

Governor Rhoden received many other pledges to support shining the lights should the shutdown continue longer.

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From Twitter, Senator John Thune goes off on Senator Ben Lujan over only funding SNAP, while Democrats keep the shutdown going:

🚨 HOLY SMOKES! Senate Leader John Thune just went BERSERK on Democrats. I have NEVER heard him like this.

"WE'VE TRIED TO DO THAT 13 TIMES! You voted NO, 13 TIMES!" *Looking at Dems*

"OH, 'there MIGHT BE SOME CONSEQUENCES!' 'There are people running out of money!'"

"SNAP… pic.twitter.com/tzqbbQFkdE

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 29, 2025

From Facebook, it appears that a Mark Nelson from Philip, SD is challenging Senator Jim Mehlhaff for the District 24 Senate seat in the June primary.

By his announcement, I’m guessing he’s not going to leave his religion in church.

We’ll just leave it at that.

New Poll: Jackley has Massive 52 Point Lead in Congressional Race

Pierre: Today, a new independent poll conducted by Mason-Dixon Strategy and Polling showed Attorney General Marty Jackley with a massive 52 point lead over his opponents. Jackley leads his closest opponent 57% to 5%.

 

The poll is an improvement over other independent polling from late June showing Jackley with a 43 point lead over his closest opponent.

Jackley not only has massive leads in all polling conducted in the race, he has also shattered fundraising records. Jackley recently filed his first quarterly campaign finance report for Congress reporting $525,760 raised with $503,279 cash on hand, raising 155% more than any other candidate in South Dakota has raised for their first fundraising quarter in a campaign for the House of Representatives. In fact, Jackley raised more than double the amount of his four opponents combined.

“I’m proud of the momentum that continues to build for our campaign,” said Marty Jackley. “It is a testament to the hard work we put in for South Dakota every single day and the strong grassroots support we have across the state.”

“The polling shows the voters know that I am the only true conservative in this race,” said Jackley. “I serve on President Trump’s America First Attorney General Advisory Council and I’m the only candidate who endorsed President Trump in the primary. I’ve built a relationship with the White House to push a conservative America First agenda and deliver results for South Dakota.”

Jackley continues to build strong momentum and is the clear favorite in the race for Congress. The record-breaking fundraising and massive leads in independent polling proves Jackley has overwhelming support from all corners of South Dakota. An October 28, 2025 Cook Political Report story says Jackley is well-positioned to win the race and states, “Jackley is dominant enough that any opponent will have a tough time to knocking him off course.”

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Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff Announces Reelection bid for District 24 Senate

Pierre, SD – District 24 Senator Jim Mehlhaff announces his intention to seek re-election for a third term.

“It has been an honor to represent Hughes, Haakon, Stanley, Hyde, and Sully counties in the State Senate,” said Sen. Mehlhaff. “I have worked hard to be an engaged, accessible, and thoughtful conservative member of the legislature. I look forward to earning your support again as I seek a third term.”

Mehlhaff was first elected to the State Senate in 2022 and re-elected in 2024. During his first term in office, he served on the Committees of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Judiciary, and as the Vice-Chair on the Local Government and Retirement Laws committees. In his second term, he is currently serving in leadership as Senate Majority Leader. He is the chair of the Senate State Affairs Committee, and serves as a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Vice Chair of the Senate Legislative Procedures Committee. Mehlhaff also serves on the Executive Board and continues his service on the Interim Rules Review Committee. During the interim he played a pivotal role on the Governor’s Prison Reset Task Force and was successful in shepherding the prison construction legislation through the Senate during the special session.

If re-elected, Mehlhaff will continue to bring his common-sense, conservative approach to issues impacting the people of District 24.

“I learned a great deal working on issues and legislation over the past few years. I intend to keep working hard, and hope the people of District 24 will trust me to put my experience to work in a third term,” Mehlhaff said.

Jim and his wife Annie have lived in the Pierre area for over 30 years and have two children.  They are active members of Ss. Peter and Paul Catholic Church.

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Marty Jackley’s congressional campaign is getting a double-boost in the media from a pair of reports coming out yesterday from both the Cook Political Report national political newsletter, and local media outlet SD News Watch noting that Attorney General Marty Jackley holds an early lead over Senator Casey Crabtree in the congressional contest.

From the Cook Political Report, reporter Matthew Klein provides his analysis on the race, where compared to other races nationally, it’s a sparse field running for Congress, but currently Jackley is dominating the contest due to his long record of public service:

Jackley, 55, is a particularly formidable candidate. Currently in his fourth term as South Dakota’s chief law enforcement officer, Jackley has been elected statewide three times. He has universal name recognition thanks to his high-profile run in the 2018 Republican gubernatorial primary, which he ultimately lost to then-Rep. Kristi Noem. He raised $526,000 during the third quarter, a robust sum that proves he has considerable backing among the state’s tight-knit donor class. And the lone poll out so far shows Jackley decisively leading Crabtree, 48%-5%.

and..

Crabtree, 42, is hoping to give Jackley a real race for the GOP nomination. He’s had his sights set on the At-Large District for years, and sources say his day job as director of economic development at Heartland Energy has helped him make connections across the state. Crabtree is regarded as a strong retail politician, though he’s largely unknown beyond his hometown of Madison and raised just $206,000 — less than half of Jackley’s haul — during the third quarter.

Crabtree, who served as the state Senate’s majority leader from 2023 to 2025, is styling himself as a champion of Trump’s “America First” agenda. He points to his push to slash sales taxes and ban sanctuary cities for undocumented immigrants as proof of his conservative credentials.

Read the entire story here.

A similar story emerges from South Dakota News Watch’s story in recent polling in the Congressional Contest by SD News Watch in conjunction with the Mason-Dixon polling firm showing that the Attorney General has a commanding lead due to having ran for statewide office numerous times:

The statewide survey, co-sponsored by the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota, showed Jackley with 57%. State Sen. Casey Crabtree was the preferred candidate with 5%….

The poll also found that 36% of GOP voters haven’t decided who they would vote for in the June 2 primary.

and..

Coker said that for an open seat in a congressional race — meaning no widely recognized incumbent — and the primary seven months away, it’s not unusual to see a large portion of respondents having no preference. 

The poll results, even factoring in the one-third who will be putting their support behind a candidate in the coming months, don’t open up much room for Crabtree to catch up to Jackley, Coker said. 

Read the entire story here.

(Biggest mystery here is why they’re polling with Biolata in the contest, since his campaign currently seems to lack the momentum to get on the ballot. )

Right now as the race stands, there are a lot of undecideds. But even with the undecideds, Attorney General Jackley commands a strong lead at the moment due to people’s long familiarity with having voted for him a number of times.

That being said, there’s still lots of race left, and potential wild cards that could be played in the race, such as quietly rumored Erin Tobin interest in the congressional contest.

Stay tuned!

Despite not having the authority under SDGOP bylaws to do so, the vice chair of the Minnehaha County Republican Central Committee has declared tonight that they have ousted the chairman of the county party.

Because people don’t think the group is clownish enough after 2 years of R. Shawn Tornow?:

Dear Minnehaha Republican Central Committee,

Thank you all for attending our special meeting on October 27. The official quorum was met. Your voices were heard, your votes were counted and your input played a vital role in shaping the outcome.  Together, we addressed our challenges and reached a thoughtful conclusion that will strengthen the health and integrity of our organization.

Included in this correspondence is the official censure of Chairman Petterson.  As a result of this action, the Minnehaha County Central Committee has voted to remove Chairman Petterson from his position, effective immediately. In accordance with our bylaws, Vice Chairman Symens will assume the role of Chair.

As we move forward, we are committed to operating with full transparency, mutual respect, and a shared dedication to the continued success of Minnehaha County Republicans.

Please keep watch for an email in the future, setting a date for elections of open positions within the Executive Board.

Thank you again for your engagement and commitment to our mission.

Sincerely,

Minnehaha County Executive Board

And you can read the censure document here.

Censure of Chairman Korry Petterson by Pat Powers

This was an interesting post on Facebook.  Sometimes it’s less the photo, and more what’s in the background. In a post on the anti-Republican SD Grassroots Conservative facebook group, they were just clucking about raising money to take out Republican legislators they don’t like..

And who is that we see in the background on the left of one of the photos? Looks to be (former 32-year Obama Democrat and) SDGOP Chair Jim Eschenbaum, fresh off of attending yet another dinner event, the prior night’s event for Justin McNeal who is going to run to try to take out Senator Mike Rounds.

If Eschenbaum only put as much effort into supporting incumbent Republican officeholders as he did trying to beat them, then maybe the party wouldn’t be in such dire straits.