Category: Uncategorized

The SDGOP has filed their latest FEC report.

And I’m just shocked. Shocked I tell you! But once again, the SDGOP has somehow managed to once again raise less than $50:

AprilSDGOPFECReport by Pat Powers

SDGOP Chairman (& 32-year former Democrat) Jim Eschenbaum’s GOP managed a $45 donation and $4.01 in interest, against $1997.13 of spending, leaving the leading political party in the state with $29,665.52 cash on hand.  That’s dipping below 30K for the first time as long as I can remember.

That’s a declining trend which makes one ask how they intend to run a political party? Or a political party convention for that matter.

Thune Calls Out Senate Democrats’ Hypocritical Opposition to Voter ID

“[I]t turns out that when Democrats say they support voter ID … they don’t mean actual IDs.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor: 

Click here to watch the video.

How much research did Aaron Aylward actually do before he agreed to do this?

You never know what’s going to happen this election season.

 

Democrat defector Peri Pourier, who is now in the House Republican Caucus, and who has also thrown her hat into the race for Public Utilities Commission may have hit a bump in the road for her ambitions for 2026.

The rumor mill is on fire today with word that Pourier had sent in petitions to the Secretary of State’s office to run. Except there was allegedly a problem. The registered mail date was at the last possible day to send them in. But the time stamp was for 5:08 PM.

Which if you look at the law, that’s a no-no.

12-6-4. Petition required to place candidate’s name on primary ballot–Time and place of filing.

Except as provided by § 12-5-4 and as may be otherwise provided in chapter 12-9, no candidate for any office to be filled, or nomination to be made, at either or both the primary or general election, other than a presidential election, may have that person’s name printed upon the official primary election ballot of that person’s party, unless a petition has been filed on that person’s behalf after December thirty-first and by the last Tuesday of March at five p.m. local time before the date of the primary election. If the petition is mailed by registered mail by the last Tuesday of March at five p.m. local time before the primary election, the petition shall be considered timely submitted.

Uh oh. There is not a lot of wiggle room there. If true, and they were sent at 5:08, missing the 5pm deadline, Pourier may have to run as an independent, if not just skipping it entirely for her PUC ambtions.

There was also talk that Liz May had her petitions sent in the same batch, but I do see that Hillary Clinton’s favorite donor from Kyle, SD, had her petitions posted this AM.

Stay tuned.

SECRETARY OF STATE ANNOUNCES UNSUCCESSFUL CHALLENGE TO U.S. HOUSE PETITIONS

(Pierre, S.D.) – Secretary of State Monae L. Johnson has announced that James Bialota’s challenge to Attorney General Marty Jackley’s candidate petitions was unsuccessful. Attorney General Jackley will remain on the ballot as a Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives at the Primary Election held on June 2, 2026.

A Republican candidate for U.S. House requires 2,171 valid signatures to appear on the ballot. April 1, 2026, the Secretary of State’s office completed the random sample of the petition signatures and found 86.7 percent to be valid.

Based on the results of the random sample, 3,168 signatures were deemed valid. Mr. Bialota’s challenge resulted in seven additional signatures within the random sample being deemed invalid. This impacted the overall validity rate by a little over one percent leaving Jackley with 3,126 valid signatures.

For more information on candidates who will be on the ballot at the Primary Election, please see the candidate list on the Secretary of State’s website: https://vip.sdsos.gov/candidatelist.aspx?eid=773.

Sioux Falls businessman John Pohlman has announced his candidacy for District 10 House, running on a platform of experience, conservative values and a results-driven approach to state government.

Pohlman, who recently sold his ownership stake with Lawrence & Schiller, has spent his career creating jobs and working to build one of the most respected marketing firms in the Midwest. He’s provided strategic direction to many of the best known companies and organizations in the region and has spent years working side-by-side with political leaders across South Dakota to deliver results for the state.

In addition to his work in the business community, Pohlman has volunteered his leadership to the Sioux Empire United Way, TeamMates Mentoring of South Dakota, the InterLakes Community Action Partnership Foundation and the University of South Dakota.

In Pierre, Pohlman plans to focus on keeping taxes low and spending under control, supporting law enforcement and public safety, making Sioux Falls affordable for working families, creating opportunities for the next generation and protecting the values that have made South Dakota strong.

A graduate of the University of South Dakota, Pohlman and his wife Stacey and have called Sioux Falls home for over 40 years, raising three daughters. They now have two grandchildren living in the city as well.

A Pohlman for District 10 House fundraiser is planned for May 6th at the Minnehaha Country Club. For more information, please visit PohlmanForSD.com

From my e-mail box, the Sioux Empire Better Government Committee is hosting a better government summit this coming Friday in Sioux Falls. And looking at it from a Republican lens, it looks like the Lincoln Day Dinner we didn’t have in Sioux Falls earlier, because they wanted to bring in a goofball instead of driving people to support our legislators who want South Dakota to be a better place than they found it.

Check it out this Friday night!

A new anti-abortion group has apparently formed, and has adopted the furthest-right position to date for the next legislative session. This new group including current and former legislators are seeking pledges from legislative candidates to push forward a measure to incarcerate women who have had an abortion:

Hot off the press:

The group claims Current State Rep’s Tony Randolph and Dylan Jordan, as was as former House member Patricia Shiery, who got booted off the ballot this year. Also included are former candidate Heather DeVries, and Gretchen Weible.

If any candidate receives this survey, I’ll tell you to throw it away. But you could also use it to line a bird cage, or clean up after a messy pet before you throw it away.

Seriously. If anyone is dumb enough to fill this out and return it, you deserve the negative attacks you’re going to get, because they want candidates to fill this out to be wielded as a weapon against them.

Another rubber chicken event, and another instance where Secretary of State Candidate Heather Baxter violates South Dakota campaigning laws surrounding the placement of a disclaimer on her advertisements.

12-27-15. Political communications to contain certain language–Exceptions–Violation as misdemeanor.

Any printed material or communication made, purchased, paid for, or authorized by a candidate or political committee that disseminates information concerning a candidate, public office holder, ballot question, or political party shall prominently display or clearly speak the statement: “Paid for by (name of candidate or political committee).” This section does not apply to buttons, balloons, pins, pens, matchbooks, clothing, or similar small items upon which the inclusion of the statement would be impracticable. A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor. A subsequent offense within a calendar year is a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Considering that Baxter has failed to include this information on many, if not most of her political communications this year, if she wins would everybody be able to quit putting disclaimers on their advertising or will that just be a special exception for the overseer of campaign finance laws?

Just asking.  Especially considering her promise to “promote accountability in campaign finance.“

So much for “Honest elections.”

According to a report from the Minnehaha County GOP, South Dakota Republican Party Chairman (and former 32-year Democrat) Jim Eschenbaum has been hospitalized as a result of an undisclosed illness (*headline updated to reflect report of heart attack):

If Eschenbaum resigns due to illness.. technically that would make Vice Chair Janet Jensen the chair of the SDGOP.

So absolutely. Please pray for Eschenbaum. And we will continue to monitor reports.

Update: 

According to reports from facebook late this afternoon, Eschenbaum suffered a heart attack, and is currently hospitalized awaiting tests.