President Donald J. Trump Endorses Governor Kristi Noem For Re-Election

FEBRUARY 8, 2022 – Pierre, SD – This afternoon, President Donald J. Trump announced his endorsement of Governor Kristi Noem for re-election in 2022.

Statement released by President Donald J. Trump in making this endorsement:

“Kristi Noem has done a great job as Governor of South Dakota. She is strong on Borders, the Second Amendment, preserving land and Energy Dominance, Medical Freedom, and kept South Dakota open during COVID. She fully supports our great Law Enforcement, Military, our wonderful Vets—and is a fighter for the incredible people of South Dakota. Kristi has my Complete and Total Endorsement!”

Accepting the endorsement, Governor Noem stated the following:

“I am incredibly honored and humbled to have President Trump’s endorsement. While in Congress, I worked alongside President Trump to pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that lowered taxes on South Dakotans and led to the greatest economy in American history. Since being elected Governor, I have worked to bring President Trump’s America First agenda to the state level in South Dakota by cutting burdensome regulations, keeping government out of the way of South Dakota small business owners and job creators, and supporting South Dakota law enforcement. I look forward to continuing to fight for our shared agenda if elected to serve a second term as Governor of the great state of South Dakota.”

Petitions are coming in at a pretty good clip since yesterday, but no surprises, as all had previously filed committees or announced in the run up to turning them in.

Race		Name	Party	Petition Filing Date	District
State Senator		Jean M. Hunhoff	REP	2/8/22	District 18
State Senator		Erin Tobin	REP	2/8/22	District 21
State Senator		Mark Willadsen	REP	2/7/22	District 09
State Senator		Lisa Rave	REP	2/7/22	District 25
State Representative		David Kull	REP	2/7/22	District 02
State Representative		Richard Rylance	REP	2/7/22	District 03
State Representative		Fred Deutsch	REP	2/7/22	District 04
State Representative		Gary Schuster	REP	2/7/22	District 12
State Representative		Gina M Schiferl	REP	2/7/22	District 14
State Representative		Curt Massie	REP	2/7/22	District 33

I do notice there’s no democrats so far this week.

No Democrats have filed for State Senate so far, and only three in the House.

Looking like a good year for the GOP.

Our friends at CyberClimb digital marketing are back with us on advertiser’s row for another election, so make a point to click on their ad, and find out what they can do for your campaign via the Internet!

And don’t forget to check out our other advertisers, such as the And please also take a moment to visit our other advertisers including Marty Jackley, Americans for Prosperity – South Dakota, Governor Kristi Noem, US Senator John Thune, Dusty Johnson for US Congress, Rapid Digital Solutions and the South Dakota Republican Party!

And Dakota Campaign Store, where you’ll find me hawking yard signs, postcards, and all the things a professional campaign needs to make an impression.

Remember – SDWC has only a few limited advertising opportunities left for reaching South Dakota’s opinion leaders as 2022 campaign season gets in gear. Advertising on the Dakotwarcollege.com website is based on a first come, first serve basis for available positions.

Information on ad prices, ad positions, and ad commitments may be directed to the webmaster by clicking here.

State Rep. Mark Willadsen turned in petitions today to the South Dakota Secretary of State’s office to run for District 9 State Senate. Willadsen had previously announced his intention to run for the seat late last month.

Willadsen, a Republican, has owned and operated the Willadsen Insurance Agency for 39 years, and has a long history of civic service in the Sioux Falls community, including 14 years in the State House of Representatives. 

He will be running to replace State Senator Wayne Steinhauer who is retiring from the South Dakota legislature.

Willadsen is a graduate of Leadership Sioux Falls, past president of the Sioux Falls Morning Optimist club, the Southwest Optimist Club, Crime Stoppers, and the Sioux Falls Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. Willadsen is a past chairman of the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce Tax Council.

20 West River Sheriffs Endorse Governor Noem for Re-Election

FEBRUARY 7, 2022 Pierre, SD – Today, 20 South Dakota County Sheriffs from the “West River” region of the state endorsed Governor Kristi Noem for re-election. The West River sheriffs are the first round of endorsements from law enforcement and first responder leaders that Governor Kristi Noem’s campaign has released with more to come throughout the year.

Governor Noem stated the following in announcing these endorsements:
“I’m honored to receive these endorsements today. Throughout this state, sheriffs are on the front lines in the constant battle to maintain law and order for our local communities. Safety for its citizens is a fundamental responsibility of government. I’m grateful for the confidence the West River Sheriffs have in my administration and look forward to working with them on the many challenges we face every day to ensure our communities are safe.”

Pennington County Sheriff Kevin Thom stated the following about endorsing Governor Kristi Noem for re-election:

“The people of South Dakota value their law enforcement officers and value the leaders that make them a priority. While some other states were caving and abandoning their law enforcement officers, Governor Noem never wavered in her support. Governor Noem has been a true friend to South Dakota law enforcement and I am proud to endorse her re-election for Governor of South Dakota.”

List of West River Sheriffs endorsing Governor Noem, in alphabetical order by County:

• • Bennett County Sheriff Paul Williams
  • Butte County Sheriff Fred Lamphere
  • Corson County Sheriff Alan Dale
  • Custer County Sheriff Marty Mechaley
  • Dewey County Sheriff Dan Assman
  • Fall River County Sheriff Robert Evans
  • Gregory County Sheriff Timothy Drey
  • Haakon County Sheriff Fred Koester
  • Harding County Sheriff Wyatt Sabo
  • Jackson County Sheriff Matt Haugen
  • Jones County Sheriff Rich Sylva
  • Lawrence County Sheriff Brian Dean
  • Lyman County Sheriff Steve Manger
  • Meade County Sheriff Ron Merwin
  • Pennington County Sheriff Kevin Thom
  • Perkins County Sheriff Kelly Serr
  • Stanley County Sheriff Brad Rathbun
  • Todd County Sheriff Barry Bailey
  • Tripp County Sheriff Shawn Pettit
  • Ziebach County Sheriff Gary Cudmore

Press Contact:
Joe Desilets, Campaign Manager
Joe@KristiforGovernor.com

From my mailbox:

CURT MASSIE, REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR DISTRICT 33 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

I am excited to be running for the South Dakota House of Representatives in District 33. I was born and raised in the great state of South Dakota on a farm/ranch west of Belle Fourche. I farm and ranch so I have a direct connection and understanding of the agricultural community and economy. I have been married to my wonderful wife Jodi for over 26 years and together we raised a family in a home we have lived in for over 22 years in District 33. I have a strong belief in family and family values and will work to protect those values.

I worked for the South Dakota Department of Revenue as a sales, use, and contractors’ excise tax auditor for over 24 years. This allowed me to acquire an unparalleled amount of expertise and experience in South Dakota tax law that only a few in this state have. This is also why shortly after leaving state employment a law firm contacted me and asked me to review an audit for one of their clients. I said okay and that started me on another career path when I founded Dakota Business Tax LLC to provide South Dakota sales, use, and contractors’ excise tax consultation & advisory services along with audit assistance & defense services. Working for the state for over 24 years gives me an incredible amount of knowledge and understanding of what works in state government, and more importantly what doesn’t work in state government and how to fix it that no other candidate has.

In addition, I was honored recently to have been elected President of the Mount Rushmore Toastmasters Club. The Mount Rushmore Toastmasters Club is the oldest club in Rapid City, South Dakota. We celebrated the club’s 68th anniversary this year. Toastmasters is a nonprofit educational public speaking organization with a worldwide network of clubs. The organization’s membership exceeds 364,000 in more than 16,200 clubs in 145 countries.

It takes someone that knows our taxes to fix our taxes. No other candidate running for a House of Representatives seat in District 33 has the expertise and experience to help recover more of our taxes to help reduce our taxes. This is why I have been asked many times to run for a legislative office and why I am. I know many that live in District 33 but I look forward to getting out and introducing myself to those in District 33 that I haven’t met yet and listening to your concerns.

These reasons are why I am asking for your support for my candidacy for the House of Representatives. Your financial contributions will allow me to get my name out to those within District 33, but most importantly it is by you casting your vote for me that will allow me to go to Pierre and be that advocate voice for South Dakotans.

Best Regards,
Curt Massie

You can find out more at www.curtmassie.com.

BRIAN MULDER EXCITED TO KICK OFF CAMPAIGN FOR DISTRICT 11 HOUSE

SIOUX FALLS, SD – With all the necessary paperwork filed, committees set up and the blessing from his family and employer, Brian Mulder is excited to officially kick off his campaign for SD House as a Republican candidate representing the people of District 11.

“Whether it’s serving our church, advocating for those who need it most through Volunteers of America or looking to lend my voice to the South Dakota legislature, I’ve had a passion to serve for as long as I can remember,” said Brian Mulder. “I’ve had the opportunity to spend time in Pierre working directly with the Governor’s Administration and the legislature to advance issues and priorities on behalf of those in most need and I’m excited to lend my experience and perspective to best represent the people of District 11 and the state of South Dakota,” added Mulder.

Brian Mulder currently serves as the Managing Director of Community Support Services for Volunteers of America, Dakotas. Prior to this role, Brian served in various ministry roles, most recently Executive Pastor at Central Church in Sioux Falls. Brian and his wife Chrissy have three children – Jeremiah, Noel and Eli.

“It would be an absolute honor to serve and I’m excited to get out and meet with the voters of District 11 as I look to earn their support prior to the June 7^th primary election,” added Mulder.

You can keep up with the campaign or learn more about Brian by following him on Facebook at facebook.com/mulder4sdhouse11

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Another reminder, and a change of venue for the State GOP’s west river version of their campaign school this weekend.  (The Sioux Falls one was held a month or so ago). Now at the Deadwood Mountain Grand, the candidate school is a good overview of running a campaign, whether you are new to the process, or you are a veteran and are looking for pointers to run the best campaign you can in a competitive year.

STARTS AT 9:00 AM MST – The SDGOP Candidate School helps Republican candidates win. Over the course of a day, we will cover important information and direction on leading a winning campaign. Expert speakers will cover a range of topics that deliver sound advice and concrete ways to reach your voters. The SDGOP Candidate School is a “How-To” as you run to become a newly elected official or campaign to hold your office.

Eligible attendees include filed Republican candidates and elected officials, members of the SDGOP County/State Central Committees, and campaign staff. Attendees will be taught as a class and through individual training, how to:

• Utilize voter data
• Organize campaign structure
• Raise funds
• Work with media
• Communicate with voters
• Plan advertising
• Target message

Space is limited so please confirm your reservation today. Lunch provided.

Saturday, February 12, 2022 from 9 AM – 4 PM
The Deadwood Mountain Grand,
1906 Deadwood Mountain Drive
Deadwood, SD

You can sign up for the school here.

Lunch is provided as part of your program. But if you’re driving in, you can reserve a room at the facility here.

I’ll be out there speaking about at least one topic, and will be available to chat with people one on one.

Had a tip yesterday that a primary for District 5 House is looking less likely now.

Incumbent State Rep. Hugh Bartels and challenger Byron Callies remain full speed ahead in the contest as of this writing, but the third candidate in the contest seems to have taken himself off-line.

Lucas Kobat had previously filed a statement to form a committee to run for D5 House back in May of 2021. Kobat is the same person who a year or so ago created something he called the “FreedomScore” project, where he declared that most of the Republicans in the State Legislature were RINOs, despite the fact that at the time he was not a Republican himself. He had started a Facebook page and Twitter for the effort, but both seem to have disappeared in recent weeks:

For all of his smack talk, Kobat seems to have gone away rather quietly.

With Nancy York said to not be running, this clears the deck for a straight run straight through to the fall for Bartels and Callies, where Democrat Kahden Mooney will likely only be a minor obstacle for the pair.

Unless something changes. Which it quickly could in this crazy election cycle.

If you recall a few days ago, I reported that State Representative Rhonda Milstead had introduced a resolution to block the executive branch from lobbying…

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION, Urging the executive branch to refrain from seeking or promoting specific legislative outcomes.

And..

WHEREAS, it is a direct conflict of interest for the executive branch to introduce legislation that, once enacted, is subject to the executive branch’s independent exercise of enforcement authority;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the House of Representatives of the Ninety-Seventh Legislature of the State of South Dakota, the Senate concurring therein, that the executive branch is urged to serve as a transparent resource in the provision of accurate and objective information to the Legislature, but to refrain from utilizing public resources, directly or indirectly, to introduce legislation or lobby members of the Legislature, in an attempt to seek, or promote, a specific legislative outcome.

Read that here.

But come to find out from a correspondent, this isn’t the only legislative push from the State House to block suggestions from the executive branch on legislation to fix problems and challenges they‘ve come across in the preceding months.

In addition to the resolution, there have been three bills filed along the same lines:

• HB 1260 seeks to eliminate the executive or judicial branches from introducing legislation, except having a committee introduce it. (Sponsored by Representatives Randolph (prime) and Milstead)
• HB 1290 prohibits state officials and employees from lobbying. (Sponsored by Representatives Milstead (prime), Aylward, Beal, Cwach, Greenfield (Lana), Gross, Haugaard, Howard, Jensen (Phil), May, Mills, Mulally, Overweg, Pischke, Randolph, Weis, and Wiese and Senators Frye-Mueller, Maher, and Symens)
• HB 1251 is a placeholder bill regarding lobbying for hoghousing. (Sponsored by Representative Haugaard)

These bills certainly appear to be a power grab by the legislative branch, because why else would they be trying to ban proposals from the Governor, department head of an executive agency, a constitutional officer or board, or the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (as Randolph & Milstead attempt to do in HB 1260.)?

If Secretary of State Barnett finds a deficiency or loophole in our election process, they don’t wanna hear it. If as State Auditor, Rich Sattgast wants to improve a process for paying the state’s bills, or expand open government for the documents he holds, they’re telling him to talk to the hand. Or if the Chief Justice wants to fix a problem in the guardianship law they passed a session or two ago, he would have to jump through new legislative bureaucratic hoops just to get a fair hearing.

Or not get a fair hearing, as they did to the Governor last week.

HB1290 might be even worse, in that some legislators simply want to turn a deaf ear to any concerns that the people who would have to carry out the changes in legislation on a day to day basis can quickly identify at the time of introduction of bills, whether the bright ideas coming out of session could add time and/or expense, all the way to measures being violative of the United States Constitution.

Then we have HB1251, Steve Haugaard’s open-ended vehicle to introduce whatever changes he wants to make to the process of lobbying the Legislature in South Dakota. I’ll defer to Yvonne Taylor’s judgment on whether giving Steve the authority to write that measure on lobbyists would be a good idea.

Fortunately, I suspect all of these measures will go down in flames at some point, whether cooler heads prevail in the House itself, or in the State Senate.

But it’s a good indication of what some members of the House of Representatives are looking for in the years to come for the State Legislature.

More power for a part-time Legislature at the expense of the people who keep the trains running on time each and every day.