Looks like we’re getting some new candidates for the South Dakota Legislature in, which you can monitor as I update the 2024 Candidate List. I’m trying to keep on top of it daily now that things are coming in fast and furious.
Filing petitions in the last few days, the most recent and leading the list is State Senator Ryan Maher, who has filed for the District 28A House seat. Good get for the GOP in that District, as Ryan is a good legislator, and a good campaigner. Also a good get is State Rep. Kirk Chaffee in District 29, who is moving over to the State Senate seat in that District, replacing Dean Wink.
Greg Blanc, who had announced earlier has his petitions in for D35 Senate, although we will likely see another entrant into that contest with recently appointed Senator Michael Walsh who represents the area now.
Republican House members Aaron Aylward (District 6) and Karla Lems (District 16) have filed petitions. We’ll see if we have primary challengers.
And interestingly, former House Majority Leader Lee Qualm, who was trounced (61% – 39%) in the 2020 primary for Senate by current Senator Erin Tobin, has apparently licked his wounds sufficiently to attempt another go, this time for the House, filing petitions yesterday.
Beverly Johnson, District 9 Democrat for House has filed campaign committee paperwork, which you can read here.
Jeff Church, who had announced privately before is now making more overt efforts against incumbent District 17 Senator Sydney Davis. Jeff has filed a statement of organization to run in the Republican primary. Jeff’s a nice guy, and it’s a free country, but I don’t think this dog is going to hunt. I don’t know that Jeff has exhibited any extraordinary campaign skills and Senator Davis is one of the better Republican campaigners we have. Church will face a very steep uphill battle.
Nutty Mike Zitterich has apparently also filed paperwork to set up a committee to challenge as a Republican for District 15 House. If you’re not familiar, Zitterick was running for Sioux Falls City Council in 2022, but didn’t get around to getting his petitions in. Since then, he’s been busy posting semi-coherent manifestos on facebook. With his failure to get on the ballot once, I’m not sure why we would expect anything different in this race. Seriously, candidate quality matters, and this is an awful slate. If Mike Zitterich and Brad Lindwurm are the best that the GOP has for District 15 House, Republicans can stay home and we might as well concede now. Because these guys won’t get elected.
Keep watching the filings and announcements here on the 2024 Candidate list. And let me know if you have any hot tips!
I could see candidate Zitterich being like a door to door vacuum salesman. Once you let them in you cannot get rid of them.
Mr. Zitterich needs to tighten his bloggings up. But he likes race cars, which are kind of neato.
He sent his brochure out.. (unfortunately, not kidding)
This does not help the cause.
Mike loves quotation marks and random capitalizations like I like pizza.
That’s just standard for a pamphlet containing schizo-Soverign Citizen ramblings.
Mike Precinct Committee Overlord would fit in perfectly with the extremists in the legislature.
On the other hand I feel sorry for the poor souls that have to endure his rambling. By the time he would finish there would be a room of skeletons with cobwebs on them with Mike being completely oblivious they had gratefully passed on.
Shad has a better chance of being elected than Mike Zitterich.
You’re making our job real easy Pat!
Shad Olson being bailed out by JFM’s evil twin was not on my Bingo card this week.
Church comes off as unhinged, if he upsets Davis the seat could flip.