In a substack post attributed to former Democrat Senate candidate Julian Beaudion, the recently exited candidate wastes no time in relating his story. One that seems like it comes from a darker time in our country.
Beaudion wastes no time accusing people including un-named state Dem party leaders of racism and says Brian Bengs personally participated in trying to pressure him out of the race:
I learned that representatives associated with American Muckrakers had contacted the South Dakota Democratic Party regarding financial information about me. According to what was relayed to me, the message was essentially this: pressure Julian to leave the race or damaging information would be released.
I did not leave.
And..
On Saturday, Brian reached out and asked to meet face-to-face with me and my wife, Inkka.
And…
I will never forget how that conversation began.
My recollection of his words is:
“I’m not dropping out of this race, and if you stay in, things will get worse for you.”
And..
According to her account, she was given information about efforts against my candidacy, including an allegation that people connected to the earlier “East River White Men” effort included individuals holding senior positions within the South Dakota Democratic Party.
She told his campaign manager that she was uncomfortable with how personal things had become and reminded him that I had young children.
And..
This is what systemic white supremacy can look like.
Not necessarily a person wearing a hood.
Not necessarily someone shouting a racial slur.
Sometimes it is a system in which institutions, money, relationships and access to power converge in ways that determine who is considered acceptable, who gets protected, who gets heard, and who is told that continuing to participate will make life worse.
These are Beaudion’s words.. as he points a finger at his former opponent Bengs, and the party on who’s behalf he was running.
My opinion of Beaudion was mostly positive before I slogged through that Substack post. It’s more than 2,000 words, and the word “I” accounts for over five percent of them (105!!), and it mainly says, “I promised I wouldn’t quit. I quit. I remain a godlike superhero.”
Why did he get out? He certainly didn’t have to drop out.
There’s no way for me to know why he got out, but the Substack post says it was because he couldn’t win.
Julian is a good man who has served South Famota honorably as a Highway Patrolman. Socialist Bengs is a scumbag who will say and do anything to get elected.
If there is supposedly racism within South Dakota Democratic Party leaders then why is Terrence Davis for SD Sec of State running so strong in his campaign? Both have served in law enforcement and done well in their professions. Terrence has really reached out to everyone and have been incredibly impressed with his campaign with making an extra effort in answering questions professionally.
Guess who’s campaign benefits from all of this? The Rounds campaign!
If this is true i can’t believe the SD Democrat Party was more concerned about this. Than getting a AG Candidate to take on Russell.
As someone involved with the internal work of the party, I’m disgusted to learn of the activities that have been ongoing under our nose. I want action to be taken, and I want it asap.
Then name yourself and come out publicly and take action. Why be anonymous?
Bengs sounds more and more like not a very good fella.
Bengs is horrible. Julian is very popular with the democrat base. WTH is the SDDP thinking?
The SDDP needs to clean house while being transparent with the process. It’s time to name names and hold them accountable. South Dakota will never have truly competitive races until this is cleared up AND the SDGOP jettisons the malcontents and bozos “leading” the party.
Didn’t Rhoden accuse Dusyy of threatening to smash him up also?
Yet, Mr. Rhoden absorbed the punishment with his Rhock-Rhibbed Rhepublicanism and powered through to victory. This morning at the Conservatives with Common Sense breakfasting the Opening Rant will elicit both anger and glee, and explain why the GOP dominates. You won’t want to miss it.
Julian was mad bc a majority of the party wouldn’t support him after he had already gone after them during numerous SCC meetings and in public. Here’s the deal, when you demand things and attack your own people, why are they going to support you? It was NOTHING to do with race, and everything to do with how Julian has treated members of the party from day one. I was one of those attacks (not mentioned in his article of course) when he tried to assert his authority as a former law enforcement officer with threats. Julian is a good guy, but complaining that people are racist for his own failure, well, thats not leadership. That’s cry wolf to a problem that doesnt exist.
Publicly and privately Julian always touted his relationship with the Obama Foundation and Senate Black Caucus and that they were going to fund and endorse him, that never happened. But do you see him attacking the Obama’s or that Caucus? Nope.
He failed. He lost. And only wants to blame everyone else for it. Move on.
If the guy doesn’t have a skeleton in his past, why would he bail? Concealment is evidence of consciousness of guilt.
Stay in the race if you have nothing to hide. Get out, if you do.
Everybody has something to hide, even if it’s just Stupid-stuff-when-young-and-dumb or a messy-divorce-you-would-rather-not-let-your-now-older-children-have-to-hear-about.
Does anyone even know who Bengs is? Is he able to spend any money?
He has plenty of skeletons–ask his neighbors and the losing candidate for mayor of SF from 8 years ago.
You lost me when you played the RACE CARD!
South Dakota Democrats were having multiple orgasms ( daily ) with a African American running for the Senate.
Bengs is a joke, and probably used strong arm tactics, he has zero chance of going to Washington.
Julian you turned into a coward!
RLTW
The fact that you have expertise in Democratic Party politics is endlessly funny to me.
This is still our time!
Let’s support and vote for Terrence Davis for SD Sec of State and Brian Bengs for US Senate!
I don’t doubt that there is racism in the SD dem party, but I think this candidate is too new to politics. Several democrats west river have been threatened in even smaller races and they were white. Also death threats on state reps-white republicans and democrats alike. I think the violence in politics is unfortunately across the board and a little scarier than we like to imagine when trolling the internet.
While I think there are members of the dem party who can speak to racism within it, I think his experience was just purely political.
Mr. Julian chickened and has a checkered financial past and present.
Mr. Bengs is a fringer. Nothing else.
Mr. Rounds will be our next Senator, again.
Who cares. The majority of sd is white. Pp just stirring the pot that someday he’ll have to lick the stick.
East River White Men? American Muckrakers? Are these PACs? they aren’t registered with the SOS office (yes I actually checked the PAC listings)
Who are these people?
Brian Bengs is a phony. Moved here a few years ago and has been running for office for a majority of that time. Sounds like behind the scenes his true character is even more flawed. He’s like a California Carley just running statewide instead of starting local. Probably makes a living on statewide campaign funds.
I’m sick of the cronyism and phonyism.
BTW – shame on the SDDP for continually being a sht show and leaving spots vacant, while simultaneously pushing out the few real candidates who were willing to step up and stick their necks out. What a joke.