After one day of selling votes to those who feel the need to buy a faux sense of support, the SDGOP‘s straw poll seems to have garnered little for the organization except scorn.
So far, the party has declined to release the actual number of dollar votes it has sold, but at the same time they’re releasing information in which they seem to claim that current Governor Larry Rhoden has no support in the race.
It’s a weird flex against the Governor, given they’ve already set their bridges aflame with Senator Rounds, attacking him on social media and reportedly asking him for money just a few hours later. (Hint: they walked away empty-handed).
The fake straw poll was also a bit of a shot at Congressman Dusty Johnson, not that he’s too concerned. Since anybody willing to spend a dollar on his Gubernatorial race is going to give it directly to him at his fundraiser next week in Sioux Falls, instead of giving one dime to the party. (Which by some estimates could bring in excess of half a million dollars in one setting.)
What was I saying about scorn? Commenters overwhelmingly dunked on the party over the whole thing.
At this point, I’m not sure that they can do anything right.
If I were to offer any advice, I would start with suggesting Chairman and 32-year Democrat Jim Eschenbaum quit pooping on the party’s top office holders, and for the SDGOP to start acting like a competent organization.
Like they used to be before this crew got put in charge.
Working on my “experiment” just to see how the product looks, and I have to say it didn’t turn out bad at all. I only ruined 1 decal/shirt in the testing phase working on my heat press, and I managed not to burn the house down.
Not that I want to go back into screen printing and doing t-shirts myself, but it seems to work sufficiently well for very, very small projects.
Attorney General Jackley Praises State Supreme Court for Upholding State Appeal in Drug Testing Case
PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley praises the South Dakota Supreme Court for reversing a circuit court ruling dismissing drug possession charges based on the defendant’s argument that it took the State Health Lab too long to complete drug testing.
A Minnehaha County Circuit Court had granted a motion to dismiss 2024 charges of possession of a controlled drug or substance and possession of drug paraphernalia against Aidan Bradshaw. The defendant argued that it took nearly seven months for the testing to be conducted by the State Health Lab. The state appealed the dismissal.
In its decision the Supreme Court noted that while there was a delay in testing, the substance had been submitted immediately for testing after the arrest and that the prosecution was not at fault for the delay.
“It was unfortunate that there was a delay in obtaining the test results in this case,” said Attorney General Jackley. “I will continue to work with the State Health Lab to encourage them to do their work in a timely manner so that prosecutions may proceed on schedule.”
Governor’s Resilience and Infrastructure Task Force Convenes
PIERRE, S.D. – Yesterday, the Governor’s Resilience and Infrastructure Task Force (GRIT) convened for an initial meeting to work through specific goals and duties in their mission to keep South Dakota strong, safe, and free.
“South Dakota is preparing a more resilient state for the future, and this initial GRIT meeting was an important step,” said Lt. Governor Tony Venhuizen, Chairman of GRIT. “Thank you to the task force members for engaging in a productive discussion. Our proactive leadership will help keep our communities safe for generations to come.”
The GRIT task force, which was established by Governor Larry Rhoden earlier this summer, serves as a strategic advisory body to develop policy recommendations, assess risks and vulnerabilities, and support long-term planning and investment in critical infrastructure systems across our state.
Members of GRIT include:
Tony Venhuizen, Lieutenant Governor;
Mark Morrell, Adjutant General of South Dakota;
Bob Perry, Secretary of the Department of Public Safety;
Joel Jundt, Secretary of the Department of Transportation;
Mark Wixon, Commissioner of the Bureau of Information and Technology;
Andy Bruels, Financial and Technical Assistance Director, Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources;
Rick Miller, Protective Security Advisor, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA);
John Jorgensen, VP Chief Security Officer, Black Hills Energy;
Steve Kolbeck, Director of Business Affairs and State Relations, Xcel Energy;
Mark Hoffman, Chief Operations Officer, East River Electric;
Mark Cotter, Public Works Director, City of Sioux Falls;
Greg Powell, Engineer, Brosz Engineering;
Jake Vandewater, Communications VP Engineering, Operations, and IT, SDN Communications;
Mike Nelson, Lead Client Solutions Executive for the Public Sector, FirstNet;
Paul Niedringhaus, Director, South Dakota Fusion Center;
Ashley Podhradsky, Vice President of Research and Economic Development, Dakota State University; and
Randy Hoover, Professor and Assistant Department Head for Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, SD School of Mines and Technology.
Additional stakeholders will be brought in to assist the GRIT task force’s efforts through work groups, which will continue to meet informally going forward. These working groups include telecommunications, energy, water and wastewater, transportation, policy and framework development, and federal coordination.
“I’m honored to serve on this task force. Moreover, I’m highly encouraged,” said Adjutant General Mark Morrell, GRIT Vice Chair. “These highly accomplished leaders are serving the needs of all South Dakotans through prudent planning, resourcing, and problem solving. Together, we will ensure the resilience of the infrastructure that we and our families rely on every day.”
This task force supports President Trump’s Executive Order 14239, “Achieving Efficiency Through State and Local Preparedness,” which empowers state and local governments to play a more active role in national resilience and preparedness.
Due to the sensitive and secure nature of GRIT, these meetings are not public; however, information that will not inhibit public safety will be shared when appropriate.
Congressman Dusty Johnson, in his race for Governor, is hosting a fundraiser this next week in Sioux Falls. In fact, the list is so long that they had to go to 2 pages just to list the people who want to be hosts/co-hosts:
That’s a big list. Especially of the people coming forward to be hosts. If you count all these names the list is about 285. And I’m told they have people who aren’t on this list and lower level donors such as the key donors and attendees who have already signed up and are not listed, which brings the number of hosts closer to 325.
It sounds like it’s going to be one heck of an event, well worth attending. And if you can’t make it, you can also send a donation into Dusty here.
The hard numbers are $60,370.04 raised against $59,680.46 spent. It’s a high burn rate, but they also have an office, paid employees, and put close to 1000 butts in seats for a major fundraising event.
Considering that, coming out positive is doing pretty good.
$58,603.68 cash on hand when it’s all said and done.
If you’ve read dakotawarcollege.com for any amount of time, you know I am an avid fan of political history in the form of the ephemera of political campaigns. If you have to look up the term – it’s a term for the swag. Political memorabilia. I have long collected political buttons, and especially South Dakota political memorabilia. My collection doesn’t hold a candle to that of Lee Schoenbeck who arguably has the largest collection of South Dakota political buttons, but it’s not anything to be ashamed of either.
That’s one big group of them.. and I badly need to do an update, because I have another case full that’s in a bin that I haven’t had time to get to.
Some of Pat’s SD Pins. Presidential SD pins on the left, Federal races in the middle, and non-inauguration Gubernatorial campaign pins on the right.
With my obsession established.. (remember, it’s not hoarding if you call it a collection).. I have to note that, except for Kristi Noem, many of the official political pins in recent years in South Dakota are kind of bland. But, it’s with good reason. People are not big into them except collectors. So, why would campaigns invest a lot of time and money into variety? They’re going to get their logo on a couple hundred pins, and hand them out at fundraisers.
4 years ago, just for fun, I made some “vendor pins.” Buttons that were not campaign produced, but made for friends or for sale, and they turned out really well. A Kristi Noem Country Pin (after the Reagan Country pin) and a Dusty Johnson “punchy the elephant pin” after a 1953 Young Republican National Convention in the Black Hills pin.
In fact, they turned out so well, that Governor Noem who has always had fun political pins for her campaign commissioned me to produce an official campaign version of the Kristi Noem Country pin, a similar Larry Rhoden pin, and another pin – a Goldwater throwback pin – for the Noem for Governor campaign.
Fast forward to 2025 with the campaigns kicking off ..and I’m back to seeing the more generic “logo” political buttons being produced. Nothing wrong with them at all, as any smart campaign is pushing campaign and office. But as a collector, I kind of like the stuff that’s …different. So, I couldn’t help myself. I put two different “vendor pins” in the production line, and the first one landed on my doorstep a short time ago. And it turned out great.
I was thinking I wanted to do something somewhat obnoxious and in my thought process the light bulb lit up. You’ve all seen the over the top t-shirts of Abe Lincoln riding a grizzly bear? Like this one? That’s what informed my thought process.. And I came up with pin #1, of which I now have a very limited number available.
With the caveat that this is a completely unofficial vendor pin, it’s a button which I have titled the Dakotawarcollege.com “Dusty Johnson Hell Yeah! pin.”
Yes, that’s a graphic of candidate for Governor Dusty Johnson riding a buffalo shooting a flame thrower. Because we need more candidates pictured riding wild animals triggering incendiary devices. Obviously, the concept amused me, so I turned it into a big 3 1/2 inch pin.
I will have a VERY limited number of them available (about 5-6 dozen). I’m thinking for about $7.50 each, which will mainly cover my shipping. I’ll get a link put up shortly to buy them on-line. Probably late next week, when Pin #2, which is currently in the finishing process with my production house should drop on my doorstep. And it’s equally as fun and off the wall.
Stay tuned. Because we need more fun and off the wall in our politics.
I agree that people are funding candidates now instead of just throwing all the money to the state or state party. And I am perfectly OK with that. We don’t need any more money thrown to the state GOP than what we need to operate.
It must be a day that ends in a “Y,” because it looks like former 32 year Democrat Jim Eschenbaum is commanding his version of the SDGOP to do something for cash that’s kind of dumb again.
Today, in their latest fundraising desperation, they’re trying to get people to vote in what they’re claiming is a straw poll for governor.. except you have to pay them a dollar for each vote, and give them your credit card information for the privilege.
Is it really ‘a straw poll’ if everyone is buying their votes? Predictably, their attempt at a cash grab off of the back of candidates is not being received well.
Well, no sh*t it’s unofficial. It’s not really a gauge of anything except whether people can be convinced to give them money.
The SDGOP has done straw polls before. Previously under Chairman Dan Lederman they did one-vote for each person who signed up to receive emails at the state fair booth. There was no charge, and it was well received.
But this group attempting it solely to line their pockets? Not so much.
Update: Looks like the paranoid goofballs on the far right hate it too! LOL.
Attorney General Jackley, Sioux Falls, Rapid City Mayors Announce Plans to Strengthen Addiction Treatment Centers in South Dakota
PIERRE, S.D – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley,Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken, and Rapid City Mayor Jason Salamun announced plans Wednesday to use the National Opioid Settlement funds to strengthen addiction treatment centers in Sioux Falls and Rapid City.
“These funds need to be used to expand access and recovery services so those struggling with addiction have a real chance at a better life,” said Attorney General Marty Jackley. “We need to make treatment more available to citizens before their addiction ultimately leads to jail or prison. Addiction is today’s crisis; we can’t wait until tomorrow.”
South Dakota is expected to receive $79 million over an 18-year period from settlements with pharmaceutical companies that helped fuel the opioid epidemic. The National Opioid Settlement Fund has been handled by the South Dakota Attorney General and is administered by the South Dakota Department of Social Services. So far, more than $31 million has been received. The funds have not yet been spent.
Both Mayors said the addiction problem has continue to increase in their communities. They said funding for local addiction services is needed and the best plan is local treatment centers.
“Substance abuse is a serious issue and a major driver of crime in our communities,” said Rapid City Mayor Salamun. “The state has an incredible opportunity to strengthen public safety by unleashing opioid settlement funds to bolster effective treatment and rehabilitation efforts—empowering recovery, restoring families, and building a safer, stronger future for South Dakota.”
Sioux Falls Mayor TenHaken said these funds will help enhance programs already being offered in that community. “We appreciate the Attorney General’s urgency to put these funds to work to help those struggling with addiction. The time is now to act and strengthen or expand existing services while we consider other areas that need to be explored to fill existing gaps,” he said. “We’ve led on this in the past through initiatives like The Link and are ready to keepmoving forward to address addiction challenges through strategic use of these settlement dollars.”
Attorney General Jackley and Mayors Salamun and TenHaken said they expect residents from surrounding cities and tribal communities to also access the planned treatment centers.
South Dakota voters could face, on the November 2026 ballot, an initiated constitutional amendment from Mike Mueller, former state Sen. Julie Frye-Mueller, and Matt Smith that would replace most local property taxes with a new retail transaction fee — $1.50 on purchases of $15 or more, and ten percent on purchases under $15 — and create a state “property tax replacement fund” to reimburse schools, counties, and cities.
Controversial Former State Senator Sen Julie Frye Mueller and her husband are traveling across South Dakota to drum up support for a new regressive tax on transactions that the Legislative Research Council says would cause major revenue shortfalls for schools, counties, and cities, and force Lawmakers to rebuild the state’s entire tax system.
The LRC’s August 2025 review says the measure would affect state and local finances and requires a fiscal impact statement; it also flags single-subject risks. Sponsors say the goal is to ease the property-tax burden; if voters approve, the Legislature would have to build the collection and distribution system.
1. What does the amendment do? It would replace local property taxes with a new $1.50 fee on retail purchases of $15 or more, and a 10 percent fee on purchases under $15.
2. Who is behind it? Sponsors include Rep. Mike Mueller and fomer state Sen. Julie Frye-Mueller of Rapid City, and activist Matt Smith. They argue property taxes are unfair because they continue after a mortgage is paid off.
3. How would it affect schools and counties? The Legislative Research Council warns the measure could cause major revenue shortfalls for schools, counties, and cities. Lawmakers would need to rebuild the state’s entire tax system to make up the difference. That’s according to the Legislative Research Council’s August 2025 review memo.
4. What are the main criticisms? Governor Larry Rhoden and groups such as Americans for Prosperity say the plan is regressive, hitting low-income residents hardest. Economists also warn it would destabilize funding for local services.
5. What happens next? Backers will collect signatures to place the measure on the 2026 ballot. If it qualifies, voters will decide whether to replace property taxes with the new purchase-based tax system.
