I had never heard the name of Leslie Gerrish until yesterday, when she filed paperwork to form a committee to run for the South Dakota House of Representatives in District 17.
And, then it kind of took off from there. Just doing my usual “who is this person” asking around that I do when someone I’ve never heard of jumps in a race, I find out that she’s supposedly the chair of the Clay County Democrats. Not a shocker. People are coming out of the woodwork this year. But then I was told that she’s supposedly Jamie Smith’s campaign manager.
What? As in Jamie Smith, Candidate for Sioux Falls Mayor? Isn’t she in Vermillion? But, I was sent a receipt on that one:
So, Sioux Falls Mayoral candidate Jamie Smith had to reach out of town to Vermillion for someone to manage his campaign?
Oh, and it gets better.. Because not only does Gerrish claim to be Smith’s campaign manager, the D17 candidate is proudly Democrat, as seems to check off all the hard-left boxes such for gun-control and in favor of an income tax!
“Imagine taxing a luxury vehicle, or (gasp!) even discussing a tiny – and I mean tiny – income tax for the wealthiest. It seems not doable until you crunch the numbers (we have in my household!) and it is not impossible.”
New taxes on whatever she considers luxury vehicles and income tax.. as “doable.” Somehow, I don’t know if she’s polled anyone owning a modern pickup or working for a living if they want new and higher taxes.
But clearly it’s on her mind. Which brings into question what exactly is Jamie Smith’s agenda. Because that’s supposedly who he’s brought on to steer his campaign ship.
And as she prepares to run for office herself.
Is this like when Governor Kristi Noem hired non-South Dakotan Joe Desilets as campaign manager for her re-election campaign?
Love Joe, keep Jim out of this!
A damn shame. Mr. Smith, a respectable fellow by most accounts, should get one of those libby women on the council to manage his campaign.
This post reads like you found out a Democrat was… being a Democrat, and decided that was breaking news.
Leslie Gerrish supports gun safety and thinks maybe the wealthiest South Dakotans could chip in a little more to fund things like schools and infrastructure. Scandalous. You act like she proposed taxing air. And the fact that Jamie Smith hired someone from Vermillion? Alert the National Guard. Candidates hiring competent people from outside their zip code is not exactly a front-page crime.
If this is your big gotcha for 2026, it’s going to be a long year.
*sigh* it’s a coffee clatch gotcha. Correct.
How will Jamie Smith running for Mayor of Sioux Falls be good for Vermilion?
Honest question.