As the SDWC was founded in part with regards to making campaigns better, I thought I’d take the opportunity to drop some general information for candidates about what’s happening this year in the word of campaign materials, based on what I’m finding in my other role as owner of Dakota Campaign Store.  (Ignore my site being under construction. I’m in the middle of a complete website overhaul as I debate swapping platforms. Nearly all of my work is from word of mouth, so I’m lucky if I have time to even think about it).

The big takeaway for this election is that candidates should expect higher pricing on a couple of important items.

• Postage has bumped up (again), after minor increases during the last election cycle. Where in the last election, business rates were around .28 each, and then bumped up in July 2022 to be in the neighborhood of .30 each for postcards. Because of further increases in the year since, and an increase that went into effect on Jan 21 of this year, look for postage on pre-sorted business class postcards to be in the neighborhood of .375 per piece.  And that’s mailing into the Sioux Falls zone. If you’re out in the middle of the state, it might be slightly higher.
• Yard Signs are taking the biggest jump.   If you were printing full color yard signs before, you won’t notice much.  But for the rest doing 1 and 2 color signs, look for jumps of 25% in cost.

  Why the big increase? Traditional old-school screen printing of signs is on the way out, and in fact might already be extinct in South Dakota. The largest sign production house in the state that offered traditional screen printing on signs has been sold, and like many, the purchaser is forgoing offering that service.  Even if you know what you’re doing, traditional screen printing is messy, space intensive because you have to lay them out and let the ink evaporate, and it uses harsh solvents to get the ink to adhere to the plastic.  The new technology is to print the colors onto the plastic and instantly cure them with UV light with far less mess, cancer causing fumes, and space needed.  The downside is financing the massive printers, which are much more expensive than a reusable screen, some ink, and a person swiping that ink on top of a piece of coroplast. So, *sniff* inexpensive screen printed signs, we’ll miss you. 

What isn’t going up?

• Paper prices for postcards, brochures and palm cards seem to be stable. Not seeing a lot of price variance from last election. Maybe a little bump on shipping, but all-around I’m not seeing a large price difference. Thank goodness, because the postage rates make up for it.
• Steel is not in short supply, so yard sign stakes remain at the same pricing as 2022.  After the trade wars and steel embargoes made yard signs stakes a hot commodity and doubled their price during the last election cycle, supplies are back to being stable, and prices might have even softened slightly, especially on the heavy duty goal post stakes. Prices on stakes will vary greatly per vendor.
• Highway signs from 4×4’s to 4×8’s are about the same price as last election. Why? For the most part, those had long transitioned from being screen printed to being done on flatbed printers. So, if you’re a heavy user of highway signs, such as in rural areas, you can anticipate paying the same.

How does this impact your campaign budget?

It really depends on what you do in your race. The yard sign bump will affect those who campaign in cities the most, and the mail rates will affect heavy postcard campaigners.

Buying in larger quantities is a plus, as with yard signs the prices for low runs are such that it’s getting cost prohibitive to do a small run of say, 25 signs. Think 100 signs minimum when you’re budgeting in most races, as if you have a cost of $13-18 per yard sign sign with stake for 25 signs, you’re most of the way there for a larger order and the price breaks they provide. Expect most vendors to have price breaks at 25, 50, 100, 250, and 500, etc. depending on your vendor.

As always – and it’s never changed – candidates should be spending considerable time fundraising, as what you can raise directly affects what you can do. It also forces you to interact with the public seeking support of your campaign effort. And that’s kind of what campaigning is. If they believe in you enough to support your effort financially, they’re going to vote for you. And that’s the most important job that a candidate has – getting people to vote for you.

Stay tuned, and if you’re a South Dakota reader and need campaign materials, reach out to me here, and I’m happy to give you a quote.

Senator John Thune ended 2023 on a high note, according to his latest Federal Elections Commission report:

Friends of Thune YE 2023 by Pat Powers on Scribd

Raising $237,651.00, and transferring in $115,835.00 from authorized committees, Senator Thune’s final report of the year shows $726,959.96 in receipts, after interest.

Against this, the committee had operating expenditures and other disbursements of $367,609.33, leaving him with $17,795,642.29 cash on hand at the close of the year.

Not a bad position to be in.

Word is that ‘Congressional explorer’ Toby Doeden is speaking at the Brown County Republican lunch on Thursday this week.  The thought that comes to my mind is “why?” Why would he want to start addressing Republicans in South Dakota? Because as far as I can tell, the word Republican has never been important to him before.

If you look at his website or the materials he’s issued to date, he claims to be ‘conservative’ constantly, trying to pretend that the term means something to him. But he’s not once indicated any interest in representing South Dakota Republicans.  So why start now?

A couple of times, he’s thrown out the term RINO in reference to his opponent, trying to pretend he understands what it stands for. But.. Has he ever put his money where his mouth is, and actually supported the Republican Party?

Reviewing a number of sources, including the Federal Elections Commission, Political Money Line, and followthemoney.org, reviewing both State and Federal donations, the only donation towards Republican candidates or committees that you can find for Toby Doeden is a whopping $180 that he sent on the “Trump Save America Joint Fundraising Committee” on January 23^rd of 2023.  What, did Toby make a donation because he wanted a hat?

So, the answer to that question about supporting the GOP?  Appears to be no.

Let’s keep going.. Because there’s other places to check regarding Toby’s participation in the political process. Not every type of support is financial.  So asking the question, can we see how active in Republican politics Toby has been in the past?

Here’s where I stumbled across something particularly interesting.

According to records, I cannot find where Toby has ever voted in a Republican Primary.

He has .. well, mostly, voted in the general election.  I see in his voter history that he voted in the ‘04, ‘08, ’10, ’12, ’16, ’18, ‘20 & ‘22 general elections.  But nothing in a Republican primary.

If the voter history record is accurate, it appears that Toby Doeden has not voted in a Republican primary in the nearly 20 years’ time that I can find records for.

It looks like Toby doesn’t refer to himself as a Republican in his materials, hasn’t really supported the Republican Party or it’s candidates, and it doesn’t appear he votes in Republican primaries.  So why is he looking for face time in front of the Brown County Republicans now?

Of course, it’s because he wants something. As opposed to running as an independent or a Democrat, He wants to use the Republican Party.

Compared to the person Toby is running against, Dusty Johnson, Dusty has probably been kicking around the SDGOP for longer than I have, and I’ve got over 35 years in.  Active and identifying as a Republican since his Teenage Republican days, Dusty has been an active and visible part of the GOP ever since. Check that box off.

In terms of supporting the GOP statewide, he’s been doing that as a volunteer, staffer, serving in the Republican party, and in a hundred other roles, supporting local GOP groups and candidates in deed, helping to raise money, or just writing a check for the good of the party and/or it’s candidates.

During the last several campaigns, whether he has a race or not, Dusty has been on the ground himself, as well as insisting his volunteers support many of the legislative and local Republicans running. If he’s walking in a parade, they’re carrying other Republican signs too.  Another check box.

It also goes without saying that Dusty hasn’t missed voting in a primary or general election, but you knew that. Green check here.

Referring back to Toby Doeden speaking to the Brown County Republican group, when Toby is there he’s going to be asking for a lot of names. Even moreso if and when he gets outside of Aberdeen city limits.  Compared to when Dusty speaks to GOP groups across the state and knows most of the names of people in any given room.

If a candidate is going to go up and ask for support to represent the Republican party, I think it’s valid to ask whether this is going to be a one-sided relationship.  Because in this potential race, it looks like one of them has walked the walk with the Republican Party for more years than many can count.

The other one? Looks to be a Republican in name only, and it’s a pretty short and one-sided relationship, at that.

Gov. Noem to Address Joint Session of SD Legislature on Border Warzone

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem requested a joint session of the South Dakota Legislature to provide a briefing on the warzone at America’s Southern Border. House and Senate leadership quickly accepted the governor’s request. You can read the full letter here.

“I will address the joint session of the legislature on the current situation at the border and the potential South Dakota response,” wrote Governor Noem. “Because of the dire situation, it is pertinent that we have this conversation quickly.”

This joint session would make South Dakota the first state in the nation to take the rare step of calling a joint session to support Texas. The joint session will take place on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, at 2pm CT.

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POET and Summit Carbon Solutions Announce Carbon Capture Partnership
Partnership will incorporate 17 POET plants, capture 4.7 million metric tons of CO2 

AMES AND SIOUX FALLS (Monday, January 29) — In a major step forward for the future of agriculture and biofuels, POET and Summit Carbon Solutions (Summit) announced a groundbreaking partnership connecting the world’s largest biofuel producer with the world’s largest carbon capture and storage project. This collaboration brings together two entities—both founded upon creating new agricultural markets and supporting rural communities—to capture the value of the biogenic CO2 from the bioethanol production process.

The partnership strategically expands the carbon opportunity across the Midwest by incorporating POET’s 12 facilities in Iowa and five facilities in South Dakota into the Summit project. This addition will facilitate the capture, transportation, and permanent storage of 4.7 million metric tons of CO2 annually from the 17 POET bioprocessing plants.

“POET is excited to partner with Summit Carbon Solutions on this historic project,” said Jeff Broin, POET Founder and CEO. “As the world seeks low-carbon energy solutions, carbon capture ensures that ag-based biofuels will remain competitive for decades to come. This is a tremendous opportunity to bring value to farmers, bioethanol producers, and rural communities and counties in participating states, and I believe it will unleash even more opportunities for ag and bioprocessing in the future.”

“Today marks a historic day for American agriculture and biofuels,” said Bruce Rastetter, Founder and Executive Chairman of Summit Agricultural Group. “POET is the largest bioethanol producer in the world, and their partnership with Summit Carbon Solutions ensures that decarbonizing bioethanol will lead to exciting new market opportunities for producers, rural economies, and American energy security.”

“Our partnership with POET is creating new economic opportunities in agriculture,” said Lee Blank, CEO of Summit Carbon Solutions. “This initiative is aimed at enhancing the financial profitability of our farmers, contributing to higher land values, and ensuring a more prosperous future for farm families and communities. Our focus is on tangible benefits that directly support the backbone of our nation’s agricultural industry.”

The timeline for the addition of these plants is strategically planned. The plants in South Dakota will be included in the upcoming state application, ensuring a streamlined integration into Summit’s existing project framework. Meanwhile, for the plants in Iowa, separate applications will be filed, acknowledging the unique requirements and opportunities in each state. This structured approach allows Summit to efficiently expand our project scope while adhering to local regulations and needs.

About Summit Carbon Solutions

Summit Carbon Solutions is driving the future of agriculture by expanding economic opportunities for ethanol producers, strengthening the marketplace for Midwest-based farmers, and creating jobs. In developing the largest carbon capture and storage project in the world, the company seeks to connect industrial facilities via strategic infrastructure to store carbon dioxide safely and permanently in the Midwest United States. For more information, visit: www.SummitCarbonSolutions.com.

About POET

POET’s vision is to create a world in sync with nature. As the world’s largest producer of biofuel and a global leader in sustainable bioproducts, POET creates plant-based alternatives to fossil fuels that unleash the regenerative power of agriculture and cultivate opportunities for America’s farm families. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Sioux Falls, POET operates 34 bioprocessing facilities across eight states and employs more than 2,400 team members. With a suite of bioproducts that includes high-quality animal feed, corn oil, green asphalt rejuvenator, purified alcohol, and renewable CO2, POET nurtures an unceasing commitment to innovation and advances powerful, practical solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Today, POET holds more than 100 patents worldwide and continues to break new ground in biotechnology, yielding lower-carbon, more efficient renewable energy and bioproducts.

A rap song with a conservative message is at the top of the charts this weekend, having hit #1 on iTunes. As noted in The Hill:

Rapper Nicki Minaj congratulated conservative commentator Ben Shapiro on his featured rap song with Tom MacDonald dubbed “Facts,” which reached the number-one spot on the U.S. iTunes chart. 

and..

The song by Shapiro and MacDonald, whom Rolling Stone characterized as a “far-right troll rapper,” also reached the number-one spot on the hip-hop/rap chart.

“I just want to thank God, @IAMTOMMACDONALD, and my parents, who paid for 15 years of classical violin lessons so I could become the #1 rapper in America,” Shapiro wrote on X on Friday in celebration.

Read the entire story here.

From Facebook:

This evening I had more than one State GOP Central Committee member shoot me over a copy of the packet they received regarding the State GOP’s upcoming Central Committee Meeting on February 10th in Pierre at the Ramkota.  The usual things are in there, including the agenda, prior meeting minutes, proxy forms, and possible bylaw amendments.

And there are a pile of resolutions. Unfortunately.

The reason I say unfortunately, is that it looks like your crazy uncle who you can’t invite to Thanksgiving anymore is a member of the state central committee, and they’ve been sending in a pile of memos that they want the Republican State Central Committee front as if everyone believes them. Reading them, it seems every time someone scrolled through Facebook, they sent out an e-mail to all of their friends saying they’re mad about the damn gubmint and we need to do something. Reality notwithstanding.

In case you want to read a sampling of what this ‘axis of boobs’ is going to try to embarrass the GOP with on Feb 10th:

Proposed SDGOP Crackpot Resolutions by Pat Powers on Scribd

“WHEREAS of the four (4) defendants in the Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping case, two (2) were acquitted and the other two (2) were not found guilty after revelations that they were essentially entrapped by the FBI; and

WHEREAS the FBI has targeted concerned parents who have been outspoken at school board meetings for surveillance;”

WHEREAS the Democrat Party has weaponized the Dept of Justice to violate the Sixth Amendment right of Americans to a speedy trial for their unarmed protesting the outcome of the 2020 election, and many of whom were guilty of nothing more serious than the misdemeanor of criminal trespass of the US Capitol;

WHEREAS the grassroots activists of the Republican Party of South Dakota have made it abundantly clear that electronic election procedures are not to be trusted, including further complications of modern systems that complicate, belabor, and slow down our election processes;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the South Dakota Republican Party State Central Committee members applaud counties that are willing and able to implement voting procedures that do not require the use of machines.

Seriously?  They want the SDGOP to be the vehicle of facebook crazy trying to claim that people trying to kidnap a Governor were entrapped by the FBI, and are also monitoring people for speaking at school boards (Skipping the part where in the Whitmer case 2 took a deal and pled guilty, Two other men were later found guilty of kidnapping conspiracy and conspiracy to possess weapons of mass destruction, and in state court three other men were later convicted of felony counts of gang membership, providing material support to terrorism, and illegal weapons possession.).  

And the January 6th attack on the US Capitol where they had to move Congresspeople to secure facilities was just “a protest,” AND we’re all supposed to go back to hand counting of ballots, because the machines cannot be trusted?

They also threw one in there how CO2 pipelines are going to suffocate us, and create rivers filled with “carbonic acid.” …nevermind it hasn’t happened in 50 years of Co2 pipelines.

WHAT DO THESE PEOPLE HAVE AGAINST WINNING ELECTIONS that they feel the other 90% of Republicans who associate with the party need to get behind this embarrassing nonsense?

I must not get it. Am I supposed to understand that Republicans are supposed to capitulate to an effort to convert the SDGOP from an organization that helps candidates win elections into one that loses them? Because I can’t see any other purpose to this silliness.

The SDGOP has had an unparalleled run of electoral success in South Dakota, by electing candidates whose beliefs and values we all share as Republicans for the common betterment of us all.

And now we have those who believe that the party should be getting behind anything they read on-line (whether it’s disinformation or just nuts) and the party should be there to reinforce their  beliefs, and to blazes with anyone who disagrees with them. Nevermind those of us who believe the party’s job is actually electing candidates. 

Seriously – before they decide to embarrass us all and try to force the South Dakota Republican Party to front this silliness, why don’t the people who truly believe this go ahead and run in a primary election themselves on these views and see how they do? I would LOVE for them to go and test the message on their own to prove their point.  Vote for me! The Whitmer kidnappers were entrapped! January 6 was just a prayer circle! Paper ballots only!  Please. Go try that message with voters and tell the group how you were received.

If they win, they can come back and tell me “I told you so,” and I’ll be happy to shut my mouth on how they’re embarrassing the other 270,000 Republicans in the state.

But until then, make sure you reach out to your local Republican elected officials and Central Committee members, tell them to show up at the meeting at 9am at the Ramkota in Pierre on January 10th so we can continue having an organization who gets people elected instead of preventing it.

Gov. Noem: From the Warzone at Southern Border

 EAGLE PASS, T.X. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem went to the warzone at the southern border. She conducted a boat tour with the Texas Department of Public Safety, met with the Texas National Guard and state troopers, and received a briefing from Border Patrol agents. Governor Noem conveyed to the Texas officials that South Dakota stands with them and that the nation is with them.

“Every time that I come to the southern border, it is clear that the situation has deteriorated more and more. Texas has carved out a small zone of security in the middle of this warzone,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “Now, the Biden Administration is undermining them. Not only is Joe Biden failing to secure the border – he is actively trying to stop Governor Abbott and Texas from the work that they are doing to secure the border. South Dakota stands with them, and we will continue to do everything we can to help secure the border.”

The warzone at the border deteriorates more and more every time I come down here. Texas is doing what they can, but they need Biden to stand WITH them, not get in their way. pic.twitter.com/CI7LVCf8D7

— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) January 26, 2024

You can find photos and videos of the boat tour here.

Yesterday, Governor Noem joined 24 Republican governors in supporting Governor Abbott’s efforts to secure the Southern Border.

“If we lose this country, where will we go? What other nation in the world is better or Freer? We must do all that we to defend the United States of America so that we can keep it safe for our kids and our grandkids,” continued Governor Noem.

Governor Noem was the first governor to send National Guard soldiers to help defend the Southern Border nearly three years ago. Last summer, she once again sent 50 South Dakota National Guard soldiers to Texas to help them secure the border.

This past August, Governor Noem also participated in a press conference at the Southern Border and viewed the warzone from the air in a helicopter. A video can be found here.

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A Solution in Search of a Problem
By Sen. John Thune

An internet connection is something we increasingly depend on in just about every area of our life these days. There remains work to be done to get a reliable connection to more Americans, especially in rural areas like South Dakota. But thanks in large part to the light-tough regulatory approach we have taken in the past, the internet in the United States continues to advance, delivering greater benefits for Americans online.

Given the success of this light-tough approach, one has to wonder why the Biden Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is now pushing for a return to heavy-handed net neutrality rules last attempted under the Obama administration. The basic premise of net neutrality – that internet service providers shouldn’t prioritize certain internet traffic at the expense of other traffic – has strong bipartisan support. The issue is that the Biden FCC aims to go much further and, under the guise of net neutrality, assert broad new government powers over the internet using rules designed for telephone monopolies during the Great Depression. Like the Obama-era rules before it, the latest net neutrality proposal threatens to decrease investment in broadband and subject the internet to more government interference, like regulating prices.

In 2017, a new Republican majority on the FCC repealed the Obama-era net neutrality rules. The prospect was met with near-hysteria as Democrats warned that the internet as we knew it would disappear, that speeds would slow to a crawl, and that we would get the internet one word at a time. But anyone who’s been online in the last seven years knows none of this came to pass. In fact, the internet hasn’t just survived, it’s thrived since then. Innovation has flourished. Competition has increased. And internet speeds have gotten faster and faster.

It’s unclear what the Biden FCC’s so-called net neutrality proposal is trying to achieve besides more government control. As FCC Commissioner Carr has pointed out, there’s reason to fear this proposal could drive up Americans’ internet costs and open the door to new taxes and fees on your internet bill. This proposal could also decrease investment in broadband expansion, which would be devastating for rural areas like South Dakota where investment is critically needed.

More red tape is not the solution to bridging the digital divide. Reducing the burdensome regulations that stifle broadband expansion has long been a priority of mine. The permitting process is just one example of this. While my MOBILE NOW Act helped move the federal government in the right direction, there continues to be unnecessary delays and costs associated with permitting that get in the way of expanding internet access. I will continue to work for accountability and efficiency in federal broadband programs to ensure more South Dakotans have access to a reliable internet connection.

Plans for increased government interference, like the FCC’s net neutrality proposal, are often a solution in search of a problem. America has played a leading role in the digital age in large part because we’ve adopted a light-tough approach to internet regulation. There is absolutely no reason for heavy-handed interference in a free, open, and thriving sector of our economy, and I will continue my work to remove unnecessary regulations that cause Americans to lose out on the benefits of internet innovation.