From Facebook, looks like Rapid City lawns are greening up!

I heard a rumor – just a rumor, so take it with that value – this week that allegedly Gubernatorial candidate Toby Doeden had to break down and hire Jordan Mason out of Rapid City to do paid petition circulation for his campaign to get on the ballot.

If that’s the case, along with the information coming out of Aberdeen, it seems as we roll up to the deadline on March 31 that the Doeden Camp is getting a bit nervous about having sufficient signatures.

It also makes me wonder if Toby asked Taffy whether it was ok, considering the postcard that Mason sent out a couple of months ago from his PAC..

I wouldn’t think Taffy would be pleased. I’m also slightly surprised Tiffy. er, Toby would be eager to snuggle up with someone who was reminding people about his TIF’s as well.

If the rumor is true, it shows what desperation will do for a campaign.

Republican David Johnson running for State Senate District 33

RAPID CITY – Republican David Johnson is officially announcing his candidacy for the South Dakota State Senate in Legislative District 33. This district includes portions of Pennington County in the central Black Hills, northern and southern portions of Rapid City, and the communities of Black Hawk and Summerset in Meade County.

David previously held that position from 2021 to 2024. He has a distinguished history of service, with his legislative experience including serving in the State House of Representatives from 2016 to 2020.  He served on the Appropriations, Veterans Affairs, and State Commerce Committees, among others. David also served eight years as an officer in the US Air Force and Reserves and holds an MBA from the University of South Dakota.  Beyond his legislative work, David is active in the community. He is the past president of the Rapid City Chapter of the SD Right to Life organization and currently serves on the boards of two statewide adolescent care/treatment organizations.  He’s also the immediate past president of the board at the Johnson Siding Volunteer Fire District. Known as the “Tree Guy,” David Johnson has been the owner and operator of a tree care business and tree nursery since 1980.

“My primary objective in the Senate has been reducing the size of state government and the resulting costs, burdens, and taxes that over-regulation imposes on SD’s families and businesses,” says Johnson. “My time in the state House was marked by the challenges of Covid and the national turmoil that followed.  I was proud to be involved in keeping South Dakota’s small businesses open and the general economic condition above the fray of national politics.  South Dakota remained open for business and the state legislature played a substantial role in that effort.”

In announcing his campaign, Johnson emphasized his commitment to reducing the size of state government and protecting the interests of South Dakota citizens. “I’m ready to return to Pierre to continue my successful record representing SD’s families, protecting individual and private property rights, and sustaining the rational, effective, conservative policies that make South Dakota the best place in America to call home,” he stated.

Johnson grew up in Rapid City, graduated from the School of Mines and worked as a software engineer for two aircraft companies.   He and his wife, Karen, returned to Rapid City in 1991 where they raised three daughters and are now proud grandparents of five.

The Primary Election will be held on June 2nd, followed by the General Election on November 3rd, 2026.

No. Seriously.

The fundraising committee chair for the South Dakota Republican Party, as noted by the screen-shot from the SDGOP’s website, has filed petitions to run for the South Dakota State Legislature.

I’m not sure that I can find descriptive words to express the depths of how poorly their fundraising has been. Abysmal? Insufficient? Dumpster-fire is reserved for Toby Doeden nowadays. But you get the drift.  The SDGOP has managed to achieve epic lows in raising money, and now the party’s fundraising committee chair wants to bring these same  accomplishments to State Government?

Werdel was in the news earlier this year about the party’s fundraising. According to DakotaNewsNow:

“I think the main thing for this is we get the people involvement. It’s not just big money coming from the big donors,” said Amber Werdel, SD GOP Fundraising Committee Chair. “We have people that are donating towards this. Yes, hopefully they will win a gun. 

Read that here.

There’s actually not a lot out there on-line about Amber Werdel to find out what qualifies her for the office. But as tends to happen I started to do some cursory digging… and very, very unexpectedly, I went down the rabbit hole.

Holy buckets. Did I ever fall down the rabbit hole. In doing some research, there were three criminal cases that popped up. The most recent was 2002, longer ago than I would normally bother mentioning.  Except it was a felony. That gets my attention. Driving under the influence – 3rd, to which a plea of guilty was entered.

The State Republican Party’s fundraising chair is a convicted felon?  Well… technically not anymore.

Why “technically not anymore?” Because according to the court record, on 9/5/2023 (entered into the system on 9/14) there was an order granting pardon on her record.

An honest to God pardon issued in 2023? Less than 3 years ago?  And now after receiving it, Amber is running for the South Dakota House of Representatives? That is not something you see every day.

First time in 20 years of writing this website that I’ve run across it. I don’t recall the last time we ever had a convicted felon – who was later pardoned – in charge of raising money for the SDGOP, much less making a run for the South Dakota House or Representatives.

I mean, it’s a free country and all.  But very similar to the D5 candidate Seth Phillips matter I ran across and broke the news on earlier this week, it’s not my place to judge whether the District wants to place someone with that record into a place of power in Pierre, as opposed to 19 thousand or more other people in that district.

But, the choice isn’t mine. If you’re a District 23 voter, the choice is yours.

Gather your children up, as it sounds like we might have a scary election tale for the residents of District 14.

Because in the darkest places of Sioux Falls; where the foam never dissipates around the falls, and creatures lurk in the muck, there are whispers that a scary monster might be returning to plague the residents of the community.   There are rumors that we may be facing… the Return of the Swamp-Dwelling Creature known as R. Shawn Tornow!

More seriously, word is that former attorney, former Pierre swamp creature, and formerly many other things R. Shawn Tornow is looking to try to stage a comeback in District 14 in the house race against Taylor Rehfeldt and Tyler Tordsen.

Where’s the current State Rep Tony Kayser?  I’m guessing he’s gotten a swelled head from infected with legislatoritis, and is supposedly planning up a run against State Senator Larry Zikmund, so he can do the bidding of the election hand-counting goofballs there.

If these scary rumors come true, we’ll have to watch the movie to see if the movie monsters of Tony Kayser and Shawn Tornow can be defeated in the Republican Primary on June 2 by the heroes of our morality play, Senator Larry Zikmund, as well as Taylor & Tyler in the House.

You can donate to the Zikmund, Tordsen and Rehfeldt campaigns by clicking on the respective links.

Thune Introduces Legislation to Bring Transparency to Fertilizer Prices for Producers

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) today introduced the Fertilizer Transparency Act of 2026, bipartisan legislation that would provide American producers with more accurate information on prices for fertilizer and fertilizer products in response to longstanding concerns over rising input costs. The bill would require the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to collect and publish data on fertilizer prices from manufacturers on a weekly basis. Currently, USDA conducts an annual voluntary survey on the prices that producers pay for inputs.

“South Dakota’s producers have been facing some pretty fierce economic headwinds over the past few years,” said Thune. “Higher prices for fertilizer – and the uncertainty surrounding costs – have only strained their budgets even further. This legislation would empower producers with better information about fertilizer pricing so they can make cost-effective choices when it comes to purchasing key inputs for their crops.”

“We greatly appreciate Senator Thune’s introduction of the Fertilizer Transparency Act of 2026,” said Trent Kubik, president of the South Dakota Corn Growers Association. “Since 2022, corn farmers have paid record-setting prices for fertilizer. This bill will help to improve market signals by providing public access to meaningful pricing data and giving farmers a tool to help us plan for these costs. Ultimately, this legislation will make the market for key farm inputs more transparent and is a step toward making the market more competitive.”

Thune’s legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.).

###

It would be a terrible thing if someone spilled soda all over that Toby Doeden petition….

Thune: Voter ID Is a Commonsense Standard Americans Expect

“You need a photo ID to see a doctor, stay at a hotel, start a job. It’s not too much to ask to require it when you go in to vote.”

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) today delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor: 

Click here to watch the video.

Mike Crane Secures Spot on June 2 Ballot for SE Council District Seat,
Brings Proven Development Experience

Sioux Falls, SD — Mike Crane has officially qualified for the ballot for the June 2, 2026 Sioux Falls City Council election in the Southeast District, submitting well over the required number of petition signatures.

Crane is the only candidate in the race with substantial economic development experience, bringing decades of leadership in city planning, business development, and housing to the campaign. To date, his campaign has raised over $35,000 in
contributions.

“As Sioux Falls continues to grow, it’s critical we have leadership that understands how to guide that growth responsibly,” Crane said. “I’m grateful for the strong support from residents across the Southeast District and look forward to earning their vote.”

Crane’s background uniquely positions him to address the city’s most pressing challenges. Through his work in affordable housing, as well as his experience in community planning and development, Crane has played a direct role in shaping
sustainable growth and strengthening neighborhoods across Sioux Falls.

“Mike Crane understands growth, development, and responsible governance. The strong, bipartisan support behind his campaign reflects the trust he’s built across the community. I’m proud to support him and serve as his campaign treasurer for city council.”— Dick Brown, Former Republican State Legislator, District 14

“This campaign is about making sure Sioux Falls continues to be a place where families can thrive, businesses can grow, and neighborhoods remain strong,” Crane said. “I’m ready to bring experience, steady leadership, and a clear vision to City Hall.”

Contact: Mike Crane Phone: 605-360-8254
Website: https://craneforcouncil.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/craneforcounci

While he might have been telling black women to “go back to Wakanda” on Twitter, former North Dakota Republican Party Executive Director Dave Roetman is telling Minnehaha County voters that he wants to move into the County Courthouse, as he has thrown his hat in the ring today to be a candidate for the Minnehaha County Register of Deeds.

Since his return to Sioux Falls, Roetman has not been without controversy, as he was cited by one faction of the hard-right Patriot Ripple Effect group which he helped found as being the reason the group imploded, and that Roetman had been actually “spearheading a stealth campaign for Toby Doeden” for months:

In Sioux Falls, there is a prominent group that formed roughly 4 years ago by the name of Patriot Ripple Effect (PRE). I was a member of this group for the past 2 years until about 6 weeks ago, when I decided to very publicly quit the group. My reason for doing this was not “to be divisive”, but to shed light on the fact that I had identified 2 sitting board members who were sneaking around doing campaign work for Toby Doeden. Toby has never been a member of PRE, nor helped them in any tangible way.

and..

I have made very clear my opinion that the heavily advertised astro-turfed campaign of Toby Doeden is being supported and helped along by hidden actors in the Establishment, most likely without Toby’s awareness whatsoever. I have no hard evidence to present to you at this stage of the game, but I feel it in my bones, and I suspect many of you do also.

In totally related news, the two Operators at the core of the near implosion of PRE and the Battle Royale that is taking place in the MCGOP have both been spearheading a stealth campaign for Toby Doeden these past 2 months.

and..

The man who nearly destroyed PRE is named Dave Roetman.

Read that for yourselves here. (and my apologies in advance that I sent you there).

With former Minnehaha Co GOP Chair Roetman on the outs with various groups and factions in the GOP, it remains to be seen how he is going to build a coalition to win the office.

Frankly, today’s announcement may also spur others to run. With the possibility of Roetman serving leaving a number of people with too bitter of a taste in their mouth for them to let it go.