South Dakota Democrats have filed their latest FEC Reports on the morning where South Dakota Republicans have gathered in Pierre to endlessly debate resolutions and re-arrange the chairs on the deck of the titanic instead of deciding to act like a real political party.
And, in the continued reversal of fortune, Democrats are reporting reasonable monthly receipts while the version of the South Dakota Republican Party, ran by former 32-year Democrat Jim Eschenbaum, continues of a rarely interrupted monthly streak of ZERO raised:
$37,525.86 raised against $34,223.22 spent, leaving $53,267.67 cash on hand, compared to the SDGOP’s $30,180.59. Let that sink in. Democrats have more cash on hand – almost twice as much – than the South Dakota Republican Party.
I seem to remember a quote that former 32-year Democrat Eschenbaum gave to South Dakota Searchlight at the onset of his reign as State GOP Chair:
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.
He should repeat that again when he talks about the party’s finances at the central committee meeting today.
Really looks like a designed failure by the leadership of the SDGOP. Make things so miserable and dysfunctional that only their minions show up to nominate constitutional officers.
yep. Nominate who they want. It’s time to change this and start nominating more offices at the primary election. When they mess it up this June, there will be efforts to put AG and SOS on the primary ballot.
Rip the bandaid off. Move all the constitutional officers to primary.
Keep hammering on this point, Pat. Rearranging the deck chairs is great analogy for the party. I feel sorry for the reality-based Republicans trying to get anything done when a third of the legislature is made up of people who say no to everything and believe in conspiracy theories.
I suppose it’s possible the SDGOP has assurances of a ton of dark money in reserve someplace and just aren’t worried about these report requirements. It’s too easy to want to believe a moral core of party old guard are starving out the bad kids by holding back money. It’s sadly more probable that they’re just keeping it all off the books, maybe so Trump can’t track it and grab it. Or some other reason, but that they’re as willing to fund MAGA now as they were to fund Janklow and others back in the day.
I think they’re leaning on Toby Doeden and his empty promises of $$$
the old guard are not holding back on donations in order to starve out the bad kids, they are holding back because they are not going to support an organization which will turn on them.
In the past some of the people at the top of the money mountains, US senators and governors, for example, have lots of money left over in their war chests when they decide to retire.They aren’t allowed to keep it for themselves, so they give it to state and national parties.
If your party has a reputation for trashing these people, they’ll give that money to somebody else.
Likewise other donors do not want to give money to an organization which will use that money to promote insane conspiracy theories about things like chemtails and vaccines..Now both Minnehaha County and the SDGOP are holding fundraisers with disreputable keynote speakers. Nobody sane is going to support this.
Calling Eschenbaum a Democrat as an insult over and over again would mean something if the Democrats in South Dakota were unorganized and unfunded, but here we are. Just stick to calling him “incompetent.” If the Democrats had taken over the party, maybe we’d actually be going somewhere right now.
It’s not an insult. It is factual that the current chair was a Democrat for 32 years, and was a strong Obama supporter.
Like introducing Hitler as a painter
And you use it as a means to attempt distract from what the GOP has become and what you try to tell people it is. It’s a bs tactic and people are on to it. This is the party, Pat, even if you try to shirk responsibility for how you contributed to this mess. You loved these people for decades when they were useful idiots. But now that the Manharts and Jordans of the world represent a growing portion of the party apparatus, you deflect.
In now way do they represent a growing portion of the party. They represent, on average, less than 17% of the Republican Party and the lowest voter turnout in the history of our state. And most of that 17% was radicals who were voting on feelings over facts. This is the point of maximum amplitude and the pendulum will start swinging back toward center.
What do you mean “in what way?” They control a larger portion of the South Dakota legislature then they have since, when? Ever? You seem to acknowledge their success in local elections while pretending like low turnout somehow makes it less real. I dont like this any more than you do, but even now, the party of personal responsibility somehow tries to make it the Dems fault even though the GOP has controlled every lever of governance for over two decades. We can’t just shove this off on Eschenbaum and blithely go on about our day or the crazies are going to gain more control.
I agree with you on this. But it’s also a fact that eschenbaum was a registered dem for 32 years. This facts isn’t trying to blame it on Dems, it shows the complete insanity of this group. And I meant to say “in no way.” Because they don’t represent a growing portion of the Republican Party. Common sense republicans got complacent, didn’t show up at the primary, and here is where we are
BAH. Your term in incorrect and inaccurate. Those fellows, the Messrs. Mahart and Jordan, are useless idiots. Have you even heard those fellows try and talk about ideas? They ooze insanerism, just not as polished as fellows like Mr. Haugaard, or his mentor Mr. Howie, the insanest of them all.
Gordon, you still owe grudznick money. Pay your debts, or return to deadbeat status.
When the high SDGOP party officials are more concerned with culture war and have pissed off the other 2/3s of the party because they thing all development is bad, this is not an unexpected result. Also, insulting your top office holders is not a good strategy.
Define a Jon Hansen.
Campaign finance reports? Who needs them? We would not be surprised if a certain candidate for governor who has funded the most extreme candidates, had issues with campaign finance laws was handing out paper bags of cash.
Hmm arn’t they having a state GOP meeting today?? Wonder if this will be a topic of conversations…..
Is that where DEI and Manhart are? Both skipped out on a Aberdeen legislative coffee last year too when constituents had questions for them.
Risking various people on my side of the aisle lose their minds over my commenting here (or heck, maybe they’re used to it and don’t care anymore)…
The sd gop could’ve been rolling in the dough if they focused more on serving the people instead of obsessing over control, power and money. It also doesn’t help when they push out the very people who were ready to help them.
Also, we were told at our central committee meeting that the current board has a fund where they put all of the money, NOT the fund that Powers consistently looks at. Therefore, Powers, must be and is always wrong.
I’m a die hard Hansen supporter, I’m a big fan of odenbach, I can’t stand dusty Johnson… I’m basically on the totally opposite side of political beliefs expressed on this blog, BUT— even I’m questioning the authenticity of these people who claim to be for and of the grassroots when they silence people they can’t control, allow bullies to run amuck, and bring in a guest speaker who has a sketchy reputation, is alleged sexual predator, and used to be the president of the very organization that caused serious damage to the very grassroots this board claims to represent.
If this board is rolling in all this money, where is it? If Powers is wrong, where’s their proof? Aren’t all of these funds public record? If so, where’s this fund Powers isn’t aware of even though he’s been doing this kind of thing for decades?
Damn … Us Demos just love this and we don’t have to spend a dime
Katie, I’ve been in the background following you on social media for some time. We disagree on some big stuff but I guarantee we agree on more than we disagree on. My biggest issue with those politicians you mentioned is that they are simply unwilling to compromise an inch. It is their way and everyone else is wrong. That’s not how public policy for the greater good is made. That is how policy for a select few is made. I understand where you are coming from in backing them, you have a similar political stance. And there’s nothing wrong with that. I’m not attacking those stances. But politicians have to be able to bend a little to get things done. Hansen and Odenbach had been on the losing side of a lot of bills this session. That also doesn’t bode well for leadership positions. I’m not trying to change your mind, only give you a different perspective. I have also grown to appreciate your recent commentary on this site and am very glad you can recognize these issues.
Also, if the SDGOP does in fact have this hidden side fund that is full of money, they’re in violation of a significant amount of campaign finance law. Some of which come with criminal penalties.
Hello, and I appreciate here that I can have an adult conversation without the juvenile attacks and narcissism despite political differences, like I’ve increasingly encountered by people over on my side of things when we don’t agree on something.
I’m beginning to understand more the necessity to bend a bit, to keep lines of communication open as well as try to maintain some level of a working relationship with people in politics that we don’t agree with. I had a lot of fallouts with people I considered friends in politics because I openly admitted that constantly being mad and throwing low blows out at those who didn’t do as we wanted with voting or otherwise isn’t working. How do we expect to get the necessary support and votes if we constantly attack and be cynical towards people who don’t agree with us? Yeah, that’ll really win over the crowds! 🙄
So I’m trying to be better and do better, starting with nixing dehumanization.
With that, I know there’s times to bend and compromise and times when we feel we can’t because of our beliefs and principles. I’m assuming perhaps that’s what happened with Hansen and Odenbach. When I think about bending from either side of this divide, I guess I want to ask the same thing to those who voted against things that give taxpayers more choices in things like educating our kids, for example. Why couldn’t the senators bend a bit and vote to support charter schools?
With the current gop board: it’s been really disheartening to face this reality. I’m not sure what’s going on with them but I feel like they really fumbled the ball.
Feel free to dm me if you want. I’d like to have more conversations across the aisle just to see where people are coming from, find common ground and just work towards opening up communication.
Thanks, Katie
Katie, speaking of bullies allowed to run amuck – If you back away from the likes of Ismay (definition of bully, although not an intellectual one), we can start having some real and likely productive conversations.
Katie I see one big problem with your argument here: “..the SDGOP could have been rolling in the dough if they had focused more on serving people instead of obsessing over control, power and money.”
Obsessing over control, power and money is the mission of a political party. The objective of the Republican party is to win elections. The objective of the Democratic Party is to win elections. It’s all about power. It doesn’t matter which party it is. They are about power.
They acquire power by controlling the message and raising money..
Control the message, raise money, win elections.
That is their job. Political parties raise money for their own purposes, not to fund medical research or institutions of higher education. They don’t raise money for orphans in Ecuador, organize trap-neuter-release operations to control feral cats, or distribute food and sleeping bags to the homeless.
They don’t “serve people,” they win elections. Period. They recruit, fund and endorse candidates, and get out the vote. That is the job of a political party.
If you want to serve people, join the Salvation Army..
Hey,
Thank you for the explanation and it makes perfect sense and I totally agree with it. I’ll see if I can explain myself better.
On this side of things, people like me felt like we finally had representation through our legislators and we got on our precinct committees ready to help raise funds for them and support them that way. I know many of us were pretty excited to get work done, help them campaign, raise and donate funds, etc
when this current board took over I was under the impression that we’d see the same kind of fervor, boldness, and transparency that they claimed they wanted to see and therefore LEAD the gop and all the energetic newcomers onto more victories for us: help more legislators win reelection, gain more seats, all of it.
By doing that, I took it as we are all working to serve republicans by getting in more like minded republicans. We have the Republican Party to financially help get republicans in on behalf of registered Republicans. Aka serving the people. But what I see from this gop instead is instead of focusing on fundraising on behalf of the grassroots and being bold In this approach, they pick and choose who’s “cool enough to be in the cool club,” shut out those of us who they deem are at the “nerd table,” and basically run it like we’re in middle school.
It makes me wonder if they held true to their initial promises if things would be different. I also wonder if people like me see through it all and are just done. We’re tired of the charade and duplicity and this constant juvenile competition of who’s more relevant, who’s more popular, who’s more conservative, etc. and stepping on and silencing good people just wanting to do what they signed up to do. They joined the movement and the gop all for one big ego stroke and they’re doing more harm than good because of it.
I bet if they would’ve just been open and honest and real, people like me (no one of special influence, just republicans wanting true representation) would be scrambling to donate to them. They’d have more money than they could handle. Just my theory anyway.
Hope that makes sense, even if I’m totally off the mark with my expectations haha
One of tbe big problems we have been having for years is that people have volunteered for the position of precinct committeeman or woman but they are only interested in supporting one or two candidates, not the entire ticket.
When their chosen candidate is not nominated, they go to the state convention and try to be as disruptive as possible, refuse to support the winners of the primaries, and then they disappear, and refuse to do their job. .
The job of the precinct committee person is to run the campaign in their precinct for the entire slate of candidates, even the ones they did not personally support in the primary. That means contacting voters, putting up yard signs, etc. They are responsible for all voter contact. The precinct committee men and women should be counted on to take the registered voter list for their precincts and try to call as many of them as possible to remind them of early voting and the location of their polling place.
You can be all-in for Jon Hansen going in to the primary, but if Dusty Johnson wins the nomination for governor, you better show up for the July 4th parades in a Dusty Johnson t-shirt, and there had better be a Dusty Johnson yard sign on your lawn.
Because that is the job you signed up for.
If you do not want to support the winners of the primary, you should NOT be a precinct committee woman.
I’d encourage you to jump Hansen’s sinking ship. He doesn’t have much support and nothing to run on other than moral issues which have already been settled.
1. Looking at his campaign finance report he can’t manage money.
2. He brings nothing of substance to any debate.
3. The people he has volunteering are boorish and rude. I’ve encountered them inserting themselves in conversations voters were having with other campaigns at the fair in Parker. It was vile and disgusting.
4. What does Karla bring to the table and why would anyone outside in Pennington county would want to vote for a governor from Minnehaha and LG from Lincoln?
But watch for it: they are signing up to be precinct committee people and when Hansen doesn’t win the nomination, the only thing we can count on his minions for will be chaos at the state convention. They’ll be as obnoxious as the Haugaard crowd was after he lost, and then they’ll disappear and refuse to do their job.
I would love it if in June, the county party chairs take note of their precinct committee people’s t-shirt sizes and distribute the nominee’s T-shirts with instructions to wear them for the next five months, give them the schedule for every July 4th, County Fair, Summer festival and Homecoming Parade in their county, and pass around the voter registration lists so they can start making calls..
I would like more information about the hidden account where the state executive board is stashing the cash. Would Ms Hoffman please explain WHO told them about this at the Central Committee meeting? Did that information come from the chairman, the treasurer, or the guy at the end of the bar?
At one of our Moody County meetings I said the job of the state executive board is to move money around, so they should all be lawyers. The others present all laughed. Some of the things we did, I thought didn’t pass the smell test, but we had lawyers on the board. The SDDP was fined $40,000 in 2021 for mistakes they made in 2016. When that was revealed, I knew it was the same thing the SDGOP had done. “But we did it right,” as Chairman Lederman said..It’s all in the paperwork.
Personally I was never comfortable with what I considered money-laundering, even if doing it “right” made it legal.
When the state executive board is packed with people who were elected because they are opposed to pipelines, vaccines and child support, and don’t understand campaign finance laws, it can cost a party dearly. If the current board is hiding money from the FEC, this needs to be cleaned up immediately.
Technically, the transfers between the state parties and presidential committees are legal.. if you report them correctly. That’s the key. SDGOP has had to pay big fines before, when we’ve screwed it up, which is why the attorneys who did a good job as our treasurer(s) after that routed it through consulting counsel with expertise in FEC reporting.
Now the party just has Tina. Good luck with that.
If the FEC levies fines against the party in excess of what’s left in the party treasury, who pays?
Looks like we’ll find out.