Add our friends in district 19 to the list, as Schoenfish, Peterson & Jess Bahmuller all return to Pierre in January.

The Republican team in district 17, who I know all worked very hard, enjoyed the fruits of their labor tonight as being one of the first confirmed legislative victors.

Great job all!

Did the SDGOP not have an absentee ballot program this year at all?

In several counties that I’m seeing – Brookings and Brown in particular – Democrats are absolutely killing it with absentee ballots as if the Republican Party had no program at all.

It’s almost as if they forgot that elections were more than posting on Facebook.

Jackley To Hold Election Night Party in Rapid City

Pierre: Attorney General Marty Jackley will be joining Governor Larry Rhoden for an Election Night Party at the Hyatt Place, 525 St. Joseph Street in Rapid City. Doors will open at 6:30pm

Attorney General Jackley will be available for live interviews at the event. He will also be available for phone interviews.

To arrange a phone interview, contact Jason Glodt at 605-280-7767 or email at jason@martyjackley.com

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Here we are. It’s time for the big show on a somewhat chilly day.  We’ve taken all the dice, thrown them in the yahtzee cup, and it’s time to roll.

What are we going to end up with?  I think it’s going to be up to the individual candidates themselves, as this election more than any preceding it, both major political parties in the state have become living, breathing examples of the peter principle, and serve little purpose but to have an annual rubber chicken dinner.

Is there hope? There could be. But again, it really depends on the people we’ve elected more than any other factor. Can they help us weather this economic storm we’re in the middle of? Or are we going to return to a legislature of lunacy where they are going to try to jail librarians, shoot down airplanes suspected of weather control, and build a new prison for women who have had an abortion?

With all that in mind, go vote now, or you have no right to complain for the next few years.

A message from the SDGOP state party chairman:

That’s kind of an ironic statement coming from a 32-year Democrat.

I don’t have a copy of it yet, but I’m told that there was an e-mail that went out from Secretary of State Candidate Heather Baxter to several auditors this AM.   If correct, it sounds as if she’s already making assumptions that she’s going to be the person who comes out of the election.

The rumor I’m hearing it that – allegedly – an email went from Baxter to all the auditors this morning demanding that they save all digital records, computer voting records, etc.  Which seems a bit.. premature.. to be dictating to auditors what they will and will not do, considering that the Secretary of State actually isn’t anything resembling the boss of county auditors, and has no authority over them.

I have the feeling that even if she pulls enough votes out tomorrow to win her election, there might be a rude awakening to come.

Update here it is:

 

Please notice that it was generated by AI. So, not only does she not know what she’s talking about, but she relies on a data center for her written ignorance.

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A little more public is that State Senator Lauren Nelson may find herself with worse seating and less responsibility than a legislative page after her latest missive:

Apparently, as a Sitting Republican Senator, Nelson decided she should team up with the Independent in the D8 senate race to attack Republican Senator Casey Crabtree.

I’m sure that will go well for her.

Which Democrat do you think she’ll be seated with in the next session? I’m sure she’ll enjoy being a junior member of retirement laws by the time committee assignments are done.

I have the feeling the infighting is going to get worse before it gets better.

In September of 1814, Francis Scott Key sat detained aboard a British ship in the Chesapeake Bay. For 25 hours, he watched America’s Fort McHenry being bombarded byenemy fire. The Americans were almost destined to lose, but by the “dawn’s early light” on September 14, Key saw the stars and stripes of our flag still proudly flying over the fort. In that moment, he was inspired to write a poem that we now know as the Star-Spangled Banner.

America is, as our national anthem says, “The land of the free, and the home of the brave.” America is unique among nations. We are the only country founded not on a shared background or ethnicity, but on a value system rooted in freedom. 250 years ago, our founding fathers created these United States and declared their independence, arguing that, “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Our nation will only be around for the next 250 years if we continue to engage in and protect democracy. After all, South Dakota’s motto is “Under God, the People Rule.” We the people are responsible for selecting our leaders, making our voices heard, and standing up for the freedoms our forefathers fought so desperately to defend.

Election Day is one of the primary ways American citizens can participate in democracy and exercise their freedom. The right to vote gives each of us a voice in the direction of our communities, our state, and our country. And it is a right we should not take for granted.

Just over 100 years ago, women were still actively fighting for the right to vote. They gave everything to secure one of the most fundamental rights in America. And today, all you have to do is walk into the county courthouse and show your ID.

As Election Day approaches, I encourage every South Dakotan to make a plan to vote. Take time to learn about the candidates and the issues on the ballot. Ask questions, seek out reliable information, and make an informed decision.

When Francis Scott Key looked across the Chesapeake Bay that September morning in 1814, he saw the American flag still flying. It was a symbol that our nation had endured and that the fight for freedom continued. Today, that flag still flies over our communities, our schools, and our State Capitol. It represents the freedoms generations of Americans have fought to preserve.

It is our duty to exercise the rights they helped secure. In 250 years, I hope Americans will still be singing about the star-spangled banner waving “o’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave.” And voting is one important way we can secure freedom for generations to come.

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