If you hadn’t heard, a familiar face is back behind the scenes at the office of School and Public Lands. Jarrod Johnson, the former Commissioner of School and Lands is back haunting the halls of the State Capitol, having stepped in to assume the role Deputy Commissioner Mike Lauritsen left when he moved to Chamberlain to become the City Administrator of that community.
With Lauritsen’s departure a few months back, I’d been told current Commissioner Ryan Brunner had an eye on bringing on an experienced hand, as a wave of retirements may be hitting that office and Johnson certainly has some tenure there.
Not that you can tell by the S&L website (ahem), but Jarrod is already on the job, as you can see by the lobbyist list filed with the Secretary of State:
This is an especially interesting development, as the Office of School and Lands is very much in play politically, with incumbent Ryan Brunner termed out.
Former State Senator Jordan Youngberg had started out campaigning for the office fiercely last summer, and reined things back in later 2021. Current State Senator Brock Greenfield got going a little later and has been hitting the ‘rubber chicken circuit’ of GOP Dinners and events, several which Youngberg didn’t attend.
With GOP convention delegate selection just starting, it’s hard to throw a dart and say which, if anyone, would be the favorite at the moment. It’s not outside of the realm of possibility that a third or fourth person could get into the race. And if Jarrod’s interest is piqued, that could change the dynamics of the race entirely.
But, there’s a lot of air between now and the June convention. We’ll just have to keep our eyes on the tea leaves.
Stay tuned.
Johnson must really want his old job back or he wouldnt be back.
Maybe, but Vern Larson filled in when Jarrod left in 2013. He didn’t run for the position, but then he had been State Auditor and Treasurer before, not Comm Sch Pub Lands.
Jarrod is just a good public servant helping to fill a gap whenever needed. He also has gotten involved on some other great boards one of which I also serve on.