The campaign’s supporters are looking kind of fluid lately as the bottom tier candidates are racing to the bottom. And some of the passengers on their respective buses are jumping off while they can.

In fact, just this weekend, it looks like there’s another case of legislators switching teams in the gubernatorial contest.

First, as you recall, State Senator Carl Perry put his finger in the air, and went flip-flopping over from the Doeden campaign over to the Hansen Campaign.  Now in the latest, in the past few days it appears that Sioux Falls State Representative Bobbi Andera who had been on the Jon Hansen bandwagon..

..must have gotten sick of listening to Hansen playing his guitar, and gotten her check… err.. sold her soul…  ahem.. changed her mind and has abandoned the Hansen for Governor campaign for the Doeden for Governor campaign:

Will Hansen continue to shed major supporters as the pizza ranch fundraisers go bust? Will people jump ship from Doeden as he falls apart under media questioning and is compared to Joe Biden?

Stay tuned as the decks continue to shuffle.

State Representative Brandei Schaefbauer is writing unintentional comedy tonight as she takes to Facebook’s comment sections to defend the honor of the former newscaster who many consider lacking in that category, Shad Olson:

Brandei Schaefbauer: You have no idea the kinds of personal hits (Shad Olson) has taken…

How many hits does Rep. Brandei think Shad has taken? I would wager it’s not as many hits as his former girlfriend told law enforcement she received at his hands:

Unfortunately, you have to ask if it an unintentionally ironic choice of words, or if the District 3 Representative is just that gullible?

Secretary of State Monae Johnson is currently in a war of words with State Representative Heather Baxter who is fronting for the election conspiracy goofballs.. (a.k.a. SD Canvassing) who is demanding a redo of elections because they think election equipment might have bluetooth:

Start about 35 seconds in..

“South Dakota Secretary of State Monae Johnson is pushing back on one lawmaker’s complaints about South Dakota’s elections. Johnson saying that “Recycling misinformation does not make it true.” and assuring voters that South Dakota’s elections are safe, secure, and transparent.”

and..

“Baxter is now urging a full review of elections held since 2020, and is advocating for what she believes to be compliant systems..OR a return to hand-counting.”

You can view KOTA TV here.

Looks like Team Doeden is tipped over and retaining water in Mitchell at the Corn Palace Festival after setting up their tent without any weights to secure it and walking away overnight.

If Team Doeden isn’t smart enough to know you’re going to have to secure your tent in SD, I have my doubts that they can figure out how to secure votes.

Protect, Trust, and Honor
By Rep. Dusty Johnson
August 22, 2025

BIG Update

Dakotafest showcases the best of South Dakota agriculture. I joined our senators and the South Dakota Farm Bureau to discuss the Farm Bill, conservation programs, agricultural research, and the need to protect American farmland from being purchased by China and other adversaries. Farm security is national security, and it is vital that the U.S. works to secure our agricultural land from the Chinese Communist Party and affiliated groups.

I’m continuing to fight for policies that will protect and support South Dakota producers.

Johnson visits with attendees at Dakotafest

 

BIG Idea

Members of Congress should not be trading individual stocks. Let’s be clear—insider trading is already illegal and there are former members of Congress sitting in prison today, including one following insider trading convictions. I still believe it looks lousy for a member to trade individual stocks as they cast votes that impact the market. My bill, the TRUST in Congress Act, would ban representatives from this practice and I am pushing Speaker Johnson to put this bill on the floor.

Johnson joins KOTA to discuss the TRUST in Congress Act. Click here or the image above to watch.

BIG News

As the Department of Defense winds down the Vietnam-era Veteran Commemorative Pinning program, I’m working to recognize as many veterans as possible. This week, I honored 41 veterans in Rapid City and 14 in Mitchell. These brave men and women answered their country’s call to serve, and we owe them our gratitude. I’m planning more of these important events across South Dakota. If you or someone you know served in the Vietnam era, fill out my nomination form here so we can thank even more veterans for their service.

Johnson honors Vietnam-era veterans for their service (from left to right: Marc Bernard, Jim Kirwan, Jim Anderson, Rep. Johnson)

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Former staffers start SDPB Alumni to assist South Dakota Public Broadcasting

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Former staff members of South Dakota Public Broadcasting have started an alumni group to assist the network and its Friends organization in the wake of federal funding cuts.

The group has four mandates: 1. Give money to SDPB to fund programming and operations; 2. Ask others to donate funds to SDPB and Friends; 3. Advocate for SDPB in various forums; and 4. Reconnect with former colleagues.

“In light of the recent federal budget cuts, a couple of us who are former staff members decided we needed to help SDPB,” said Dr. Michael Marek, one of the group’s founders. “Many of us got our professional starts at SDPB. We are proud of the work we did for the citizens of South Dakota and want to support the great work SDPB continues to do in enhancing the lives of South Dakotans.”

For example, beginning in 1969, Marek has worked at SDPB or Friends as a student, an intern, a journalist, and a fundraiser. SDPB stations have served South Dakota with educational and public radio since 1922, educational and public television since 1961, and SDPB online programs and educational content almost since the advent of the internet.

The “SDPB Alumni” Facebook page, which anyone can find and follow, will share information about the network, funding, the long-term educational and public service provided by public broadcasting to South Dakota, and how the public can best support SDPB in a positive manner during this challenging time and into the future.

“We view the SDPB Alumni as a ‘force multiplier,’” said Ryan Howlett, Friends of South Dakota Public Broadcasting CEO. “These alumni have particular insight into the importance of SDPB and public broadcasting. They have also contributed or are contributing to the network’s missions of serving the cultural, educational, and informational needs of South Dakotans for as long as 60 years.”

The group will operate under the guidance of the Friends of SDPB. The alumni group is open to all current and former SDPB staff, board members, and others who have contributed to the success of the network. There is also a public-facing Facebook page that SDPB supporters can join.

For more information, interview requests, or to join the SDPB Alumni group, contact Todd Epp at tepp@sdpbalumni.com or 605.351.5021.

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After one day of selling votes to those who feel the need to buy a faux sense of support, the SDGOP‘s straw poll seems to have garnered little for the organization except scorn.

So far, the party has declined to release the actual number of dollar votes it has sold, but at the same time they’re releasing information in which they seem to claim that current Governor Larry Rhoden has no support in the race.

It’s a weird flex against the Governor, given they’ve already set their bridges aflame with Senator Rounds, attacking him on social media and reportedly asking him for money just a few hours later. (Hint: they walked away empty-handed).

The fake straw poll was also a bit of a shot at Congressman Dusty Johnson, not that he’s too concerned. Since anybody willing to spend a dollar on his Gubernatorial race is going to give it directly to him at his fundraiser next week in Sioux Falls, instead of giving one dime to the party. (Which by some estimates could bring in excess of half a million dollars in one setting.)

What was I saying about scorn? Commenters overwhelmingly dunked on the party over the whole thing.

At this point, I’m not sure that they can do anything right.

If I were to offer any advice, I would start with suggesting Chairman and 32-year Democrat Jim Eschenbaum quit pooping on the party’s top office holders, and for the SDGOP to start acting like a competent organization.

Like they used to be before this crew got put in charge.

Working on my “experiment” just to see how the product looks, and I have to say it didn’t turn out bad at all. I only ruined 1 decal/shirt in the testing phase working on my heat press, and I managed not to burn the house down.

Not that I want to go back into screen printing and doing t-shirts myself, but it seems to work sufficiently well for very, very small projects.

Attorney General Jackley Praises State Supreme Court for Upholding State Appeal in Drug Testing Case

PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley praises the South Dakota Supreme Court for reversing a circuit court ruling dismissing drug possession charges based on the defendant’s argument that it took the State Health Lab too long to complete drug testing.

A Minnehaha County Circuit Court had granted a motion to dismiss 2024 charges of possession of a controlled drug or substance and possession of drug paraphernalia against Aidan Bradshaw. The defendant argued that it took nearly seven months for the testing to be conducted by the State Health Lab. The state appealed the dismissal.

In its decision the Supreme Court noted that while there was a delay in testing, the substance had been submitted immediately for testing after the arrest and that the prosecution was not at fault for the delay.

“It was unfortunate that there was a delay in obtaining the test results in this case,” said Attorney General Jackley. “I will continue to work with the State Health Lab to encourage them to do their work in a timely manner so that prosecutions may proceed on schedule.”

The Attorney General’s Office represented the state on the appeal to the Supreme Court. The decision can be found here: https://ujs.sd.gov/media/4qujbrpd/30809.pdf

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Governor’s Resilience and Infrastructure Task Force Convenes

PIERRE, S.D. – Yesterday, the Governor’s Resilience and Infrastructure Task Force (GRIT) convened for an initial meeting to work through specific goals and duties in their mission to keep South Dakota strong, safe, and free.

“South Dakota is preparing a more resilient state for the future, and this initial GRIT meeting was an important step,” said Lt. Governor Tony Venhuizen, Chairman of GRIT. “Thank you to the task force members for engaging in a productive discussion. Our proactive leadership will help keep our communities safe for generations to come.”

The GRIT task force, which was established by Governor Larry Rhoden earlier this summer, serves as a strategic advisory body to develop policy recommendations, assess risks and vulnerabilities, and support long-term planning and investment in critical infrastructure systems across our state.

Members of GRIT include:

• Tony Venhuizen, Lieutenant Governor;
• Mark Morrell, Adjutant General of South Dakota;
• Bob Perry, Secretary of the Department of Public Safety;
• Joel Jundt, Secretary of the Department of Transportation;
• Mark Wixon, Commissioner of the Bureau of Information and Technology;
• Andy Bruels, Financial and Technical Assistance Director, Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources;
• Rick Miller, Protective Security Advisor, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA);
• John Jorgensen, VP Chief Security Officer, Black Hills Energy;
• Steve Kolbeck, Director of Business Affairs and State Relations, Xcel Energy;
• Mark Hoffman, Chief Operations Officer, East River Electric;
• Mark Cotter, Public Works Director, City of Sioux Falls;
• Greg Powell, Engineer, Brosz Engineering;
• Jake Vandewater, Communications VP Engineering, Operations, and IT, SDN Communications;
• Mike Nelson, Lead Client Solutions Executive for the Public Sector, FirstNet;
• Paul Niedringhaus, Director, South Dakota Fusion Center;
• Ashley Podhradsky, Vice President of Research and Economic Development, Dakota State University; and
• Randy Hoover, Professor and Assistant Department Head for Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, SD School of Mines and Technology.

Additional stakeholders will be brought in to assist the GRIT task force’s efforts through work groups, which will continue to meet informally going forward. These working groups include telecommunications, energy, water and wastewater, transportation, policy and framework development, and federal coordination.

“I’m honored to serve on this task force. Moreover, I’m highly encouraged,” said Adjutant General Mark Morrell, GRIT Vice Chair. “These highly accomplished leaders are serving the needs of all South Dakotans through prudent planning, resourcing, and problem solving. Together, we will ensure the resilience of the infrastructure that we and our families rely on every day.”

This task force supports President Trump’s Executive Order 14239, “Achieving Efficiency Through State and Local Preparedness,” which empowers state and local governments to play a more active role in national resilience and preparedness.

Due to the sensitive and secure nature of GRIT, these meetings are not public; however, information that will not inhibit public safety will be shared when appropriate.

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