It’s a beautiful day. I have great seats. And hoping the Twins can make it 2 in a row.

Forget politics for the rest of the day.

State Representative Mark Mickelson joined Attorney General Marty Jackley this weekend in the “candidate club” as he publicly states in the media that he is actively in the hunt for the 2018 GOP nomination for Governor:

Journal: Why are you interested in running for governor now and what would be your agenda be if elected?

Mickelson: I’m certainly interested in that position. I do have another election in November. (I want to) move South Dakota forward, helping private enterprise and partnering with the private sector to make sure that we in the government are doing everything that we can do to create opportunities for our children to stay here.

Read the entire story here.

This comes on the heels of Marty Jackley recently noting he’s in the race.

2018 is becoming interesting already. (Potentially more interesting than the two top of the ticket races in 2016, which are practically over already, given the lackluster Dems in the race.)

As I was driving to Minneapolis yesterday to take in today’s Twins game, my e-mail started pinging with “did you see what was in the Aberdeen paper?!?”  I had it sent to me, and I was left wondering “why would anyone do this” as well.

  
If our little leftist friend Cory Heidelberger wanted to waste money, I’m sure he could have sent it to Jay Williams. It would have about the same effect in getting either one of them elected. None, whatsoever, but I’m sure Jay would have appreciated it since no one else will send him any.

So, why is something like this such a stupid idea for most candidates? Several reasons.

It is April. This election is in November.  Since Cory is a new resident carpet bagging in Aberdeen, he might feel he needs that much time to meet people. But trust me, no one cares yet.

Along those lines, he must have unlimited money to burn. (See “it is April” above).  Unless you have unlimited money like Cory does, save it until people care.

It also comes off as a vanity piece. Is his logo really a big “h”?  That’s just… awful. 

Was that a template from MSWord, or did someone splurge on Microsoft Publisher? I’d say it was done cheaply, but that does a disservice to the word “cheap.”  Using MS Publisher and xeroxing it might be ok for a club newsletter, but it screams unprofessional for a political candidate. For someone whose employment record is as spotty as Cory’s, i would not want to come off as unprofessional.

I could go on. But then I’d be guilty of rambling like the “Giant H” news. 

Suffice it to say “don’t do this.”

  
Paula Hawks’ campaign finance report is in, showing $87k raised, $41k spent, and $116k Cash on Hand. 

That’s respectable for a PUC race. Congress? Meh.  It shows she’s about $200,000 off pace from Kristi Noem for fundraising, and a million low for cash on hand.

Apparently all her banking connections from her time at Metabank were all for naught.

US Senator John Thune is in the process of posting his FEC report, and as I’m told by campaign staff, the report will continue to show Senator Thune is as strong as ever:

We have finished up our 1Q 2016 FEC report. Our total receipts for the quarter was $686,739. Our cash on hand on at the end of the quarter was $11,802,581.

We are pleased with the continued financial support for Senator Thune that is reflected in these figures and we intend to be well-prepared for the re-election campaign this fall.

Senator Thune continues to post strong fundraising numbers as he starts his campaign against Democrat’s “If no one else will do it” candidate.

And how is Jay doing, anyway?

Jay Williams FEC Q1 2016

Jay Williams just posted his FEC report showing the challenger as having raised $9,764, spent $3,581, and left with $5970 cash on hand. And ninety cents.

Who helped fund this effort? Dem Chair Ann Tornberg was in with $500. Rapid City Dem Jay Davis gave $500 (It must be a Jay thing). Williams’ wife Carol was in with $1023, another Williams was in with $2600, and there were a few more donations to help him “almost” reach 10k.

You know who I don’t see? Most of the Dem party faithful.

Looks like even they know not to make a bet on a lame horse.

is it about time for Paula Hawks to hang it up? Hawks’ FEC is not up yet, leaving questions as to whether she can compete at a statewide level, but Kristi Noem’s is in. And it has her campaign looking as good as ever.

Noem 2016 1q FEC

Showing $280,102 coming in as funds raised against $128,708 in expenses, Congresswoman Noem now has an incredible $1,648,516 Cash on hand to defend her Congressional seat against Paula Hawks, who has yet to seem engaged in this race.

Will Hawks offer a glimpse into her campaign gaining the support of Democrats? Or will she offer excuses as to her lackluster campaign.

Had this in my in-box when I woke up. And it was funny, so it passes the worthwhile test.

Mr. Danielson,

Tending to my sick child has kept me up this late, so I’ll make my response very direct so I can get back to him. 

Your claims below are baseless and deceitful. Your characterization of the conversation you, myself, Lorie, and two other employees witnessed is entirely wrong. 

There was no delay in posting disclosures to the web. In fact, we have no obligation to post to the internet but do so as a convenience to citizens, which we obviously support.

No documents have been “tampered with” by this office. I am not even sure what you mean by your assertion, but the documents posted to the web and in our office are accurate.

I am not sure what xxx N Phillips Ave has to do with your request.

I don’t need a lecture from you about oaths. I’ve taken an oath to this country and its laws; I’ve upheld that oath through two war campaigns and over 20 years of service to our country.

You probably need sleep more than I do. Get it. When you wake up get your facts straight (a spell checker will also help.)

Thomas Greco
SIOUX FALLS CITY CLERK

I managed to snag this ribbon on eBay earlier this week, and I’m quite proud of this find mentioning Samuel H Elrod, Clark County’s favorite son.

Not familiar with S. H? You should be. The legislators, Governor, and a lot of other people work in the building this 5th Governor of South Dakota built.

During his tenure, he served as chairman of the building committee for the state capitol, which also led to his ouster, losing his second term:

However, in 1904, Sam Elrod’s political stock shot skyward. He went to the Sioux Falls convention occupying a seat of honor beside the mighty Kittredge who was driving the old political machine now lying in the scrap-heap of eternal usefulness, licked his wary opponent, Coe 1. Crawford, to a frazzle, and was nominated by the republican party as their candidate for governor of South Dakota, Crawford took his defeat good-naturedly, climbed onto the band wagon helped to elect Elrod, and then came back two years later and whipped Elrod to a frazzle. (We are not well enough informed on Rooseveltian philosophic slang to know what two frazzles equal.)

Two things conspired sort of automatically to bring about the defeat of Elrod and cause his downfall, politically: the material to be used in building our new state capitol, whether it was to be Indiana or South Dakota stone, and the enactment of a statewide primary law. Elrod, as is characteristic of the man, took a decided position on each issue, and he was right on both. Still he went down to defeat before a lot of clap-trap that was a bugaboo, but an eloquent thing for campaign purposes.

Read it here.

The race that the Elrod ribbon is for represents a race he lost to Charles Burke in the primary, but his losses don’t diminish his eternal contributions to our great state.

State Senator Phil Jensen is a member of the Legislative branch of government in Pierre. And apparently, he has run afoul of another branch of government. Over a pile of branches:

Grand Jury Issues Indictments in GEAR UP Financial Investigation

 PIERRE, S.D.- Attorney General Marty Jackley announced today the three individuals who were arrested by complaint for their roles in the financial misconduct case surrounding the GEAR UP in March 2016, have each been indicted by a Charles Mix Grand Jury.

The indictments are as follows:

Daniel Mark Guericke, 58, White Lake, 2 counts of falsification of evidence, class 6 felony, punishable by up to 2 years imprisonment in the state penitentiary and/or $4,000 fine, 4 counts of conspiracy to offer forged or fraudulent evidence, class 5 felony, punishable as a Class 6 felony, with a maximum sentence of 2 years imprisonment and/or $4,000 fine.

Stephanie A. Hubers, 43, Geddes, 1 count of grand theft, class 4 felony, punishable by up to 10 years in the state penitentiary and/or $20,000 fine, 2 counts of grand theft by deception, class 4 felony, punishable by up to 10 years in the state penitentiary and/or $20,000 fine, 3 alternative counts of receiving stolen property, class 4 felony, punishable by up to 10 years in the state penitentiary and/or $20,000 fine,

Stacy Lee Phelps, 42, Rapid City, 2 counts of falsification of evidence, class 6 felony, punishable by up to 2 years imprisonment and/or $4,000 fine, 2 counts of conspiracy to offer forged or fraudulent evidence, class 5 felony, punishable as a Class 6 felony,  with a maximum sentence of 2 years imprisonment and/or $4,000 fine.

The Preliminary Hearing previously scheduled for April 19, 2016, has now been replace with a scheduled arraignment on all three individuals on May 2, 2016, at 9:30 a.m., at the Charles Mix County Courthouse in Lake Andes, S.D. At the arraignment it is anticipated the defendants will be advised of these charges, the maximum penalties, their rights, and enter a plea of not guilty. These individuals are presumed innocent until such time as proven guilty.

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