Looks like the Minnehaha County GOP chair is joining the “step out of your lane” club, and is abusing his title to promote a primary candidate:

Despite the “official” guidance.

From the Dakota Scout, South Dakota State Senator, Tamara Grove, is claiming owner-occupied status of her Sioux Falls Home to get a discount on the tax bill, despite claiming residency 3–4 hours away in District 26, according to this article today at the Dakota Scout:

On county property filings, Grove claims the home as a single-family owner-occupied property, a classification which designates the building as her principal residence. It also comes with a lower property tax bill, which records show she’s been paying on the home under that tax designation since at least 2017.

and..

“There’s actually many people that leave here and go to different states for extended periods of time after they leave here,” she said. “I live in Lower Brule. You could literally ask anyone if I am there.”

The Scout reached out to representatives of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribal government, which has a presence in the town, who could not corroborate Grove’s assertion that she was a full-time member of the community.

Read the entire story here.

Uh oh..

Representative Reimer Responds to Confirmed Reporting Regarding Opponent Tamara Grove’s Residency

OACOMA, S.D. — Today, Representative Rebecca Reimer, candidate for District 26 Senate, released the following statement in response to confirmed reporting by The Dakota Scout regarding opponent Tamara Grove’s residency and eligibility to represent District 26:

*If you want to represent District 26, you should actually live in District 26, and my opponent does not,” said Reimer. “We raised our family here, built our business here, and I’m never leaving. For me, District 26 is home, not a political opportunity, and I humbly ask for your vote now or on June 2nd.”

(in response to this article in the Dakota Scout)

Flags at Half-Staff in Honor of Memorial Day

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Larry Rhoden ordered that flags be flown at half-staff statewide from sunrise until noon, then briskly raised to full-staff until sunset on Monday, May 25, 2026, in honor of Memorial Day.

“The men and women who gave their lives for our country will never be forgotten,” said Governor Larry Rhoden. “This Memorial Day, and every day, we honor and remember the courage, service, and sacrifice of our fallen heroes.”

###

Just another example of things that some of the county Republican organizations are doing that would’ve had them taken to the woodshed in years gone past:

No, I’m not referring to Black Hills resident Brandei Schaefbauer. I am referring to Rich Hilgemann, who is allowing the use of his Republican Party title in connection with this event.

Just mark this one down in your book, and maybe something for donors to remember next time they come around with their hands out.

This was not expected this afternoon. Former State Federation of Republican Women leader Catherine Barranco is going to assume her husband‘s place in the campaign for State Auditor.

From the Dakota Scout:

Sioux Falls City Councilor David Barranco announced Friday in an op-ed published in The Dakota Scout that he is stepping away from the campaign for state auditor. However, Catherine Barranco — a Republican organizer and conservative activist — will seek the GOP nomination for the constitutional office at next month’s South Dakota Republican Party convention in Rapid City in his place.

“Over the last 12 months, David, our sons and I have attended Lincoln Day dinners and candidate forums statewide. Regardless of his declining health, David never stopped fighting for the people. But after he received a grim diagnosis, he asked me to pick up the banner and assume his candidacy,” Catherine Barranco said in a statement provided to The Scout on Friday afternoon.

Read the entire story here.

That’s interesting, and didn’t take long.

The South Dakota Federation of Republican Women – the real group – have come out with a statement completely disavowing the fake Republican women’s group that some members of the Charles Mix Republican Party are using to divert party money to support their preferred candidates in the primary:

The South Dakota Federation of Republican Women (SDFRW) today issued a public statement clarifying that there are various “Republican Women” organizations that are not an officially chartered club of the state organization and do not represent the views or positions of the SDFRW.

Recent advertisements, and endorsements published in local media for candidates running in the District 21 State Legislature race have been sponsored by the Central Dakota Republican Women. The SDFRW wishes to make clear that this group is not a chartered club within the Federation.

“The South Dakota Federation of Republican Women does not endorse candidates in Republican primaries,” said Jennifer Boerger, SDFRW President. “Any endorsements or political activity by the Central Dakota Republican Women should not be interpreted as representing the SDFRW or its members.”

The SDFRW is the official state organization chartered under the National Federation of Republican Women. Only chartered local clubs are authorized to use the Federation’s name and act on its behalf.

That is an incredible breath of fresh air. And the kind of leadership that should set an example to the South Dakota Republican Party at large.

If only the former 32-year-old Democrat in charge of the party represented similar unbiased leadership in this manner, people might be willing to support the GOP.

Remember this e-mail from the SDGOP Chairman last year when it comes to candidates and primary elections?

About how it would “Not be appropriate for the party to influence the election process.”  Remember when that came out back in 2025?

Because there are several County GOP organizations doing the complete opposite. Such as reported by the darling of election conspiracists, Heather Baxter, who is running for the office of Secretary of State:

Here’s $1000 diverted from County GOP Donors in Brule County, and $250 diverted from donors in Davison County, and sent over to the Baxter for her Secretary of State Campaign. Against incumbent Secretary of State Monae Johnson.

Anyone else might have told them no, or sent it back, because how bad it looks. But not Heather Baxter.

But she’s not the only one.  The Charles Mix County GOP actually has a shell game going on, where they divert funds to their favored candidates in the primary. Here’s their scheme..

So the Charles Mix County GOP is ran by David Spier with Connie Wagner as treasurer.  But Connie Wagner is also involved with another group. One deceptively named as the “Central Dakota Republican Women.”  EXCEPT, it’s not a Republican Group. Not at all. It’s a Political Action Committee. A private Political Action Committee with no affiliation to the Republican Party, except in name.

Well, that, and where they got 95% of their money in the last few months.

Here you can see that according to filings with the Secretary of State that the treasurer for the Charles Mix GOP shares an e-mail – cjwagner1952@gmail.com – with the Central Dakota private political action committee:

And as money is raised through the Charles Mix County Republican group, massive chunks get sent out to the private PAC…

…where the same treasurer for the GOP group, who appears to be running the PAC, starts handing it out to the PAC’s favored candidates:

$4000 goes out from the Party into the PAC, and the PAC sends it out to their candidates, all of whom are involved in primary elections.

The problem is that big chunks of these funds are coming from the very people they’re campaigning against. The GOP groups have Lincoln Day Dinners and sell advertising in programs to the candidates, demanding $100, $250, and $500 or more for tables and program ads. And then they use their money candidates just spent to send against the very people who just wrote a check.

What do you think? When these county GOP groups have their dinners and solicit for funds, should they be telling the donors that they’re going to get involved in primary elections?

Or is it past time that the State Republican Party pass rules demanding that counties should practice what the chairman preaches?

When you have candidates that follow the law and get their reports in on time, here’s what you get – DISCLOSURE and open Government. Which tells us that Attorney General Marty Jackley has a pretty healthy path to becoming our next Congressman:

JackleyForCongress_PrePrimary by Pat Powers

Marty is reporting during the period of 4/1 – 5/13 that he raised $72,129.55, spent $50,917.28, and has a whopping $1,066870.21 in the bank for the fall election.

Because he certainly doesn’t need it against what passes for competition in the primary.

From my mailbox, Attorney General Candidate Austin Hoffman is hosting a fundraiser in Aberdeen on May 28 in the run up to his SDGOP Convention race. Check it out: