Jeff Marlette, Former Adjutant General, South Dakota National Guard announces run for District 33 State House

“Throughout my life I have been blessed to have the opportunity to serve in many rewarding capacities.  It would be an honor to now serve by representing the citizens of District 33 in the State House of Representatives. “

With more than 40 years of service to our Nation, the State of South Dakota and local communities, Major General (Ret.) Jeff Marlette of Rapid City announces he is running for State Representative in District 33.  His service includes over thirty-six years in uniform, combat service in Iraq, Commanding General of the South Dakota National Guard, service as a member of the Governors cabinet, service as West River Director for U.S. Senator Mike Rounds and many years serving as a Superintendent of Schools in South Dakota schools.  He has also served on numerous boards and committees at the local, state and national levels.

“As a commonsense conservative, I will work to support traditional family values and to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent in a fiscally conservative manner.  I will support sensible restructuring of the property tax system, a strong education system and a vibrant environment for business.   I fully support the expansion of Ellsworth Airforce Base and the need to address water shortage issues in western South Dakota.”

Marlette holds a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in Education from Northern State University, an Education Specialist degree from the University of Sioux Falls and a master’s degree in Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College.  He notes some of his best education comes from growing up in a farm/ranch family, where he learned the value of hard work and the importance of keeping our Agriculture industry strong.

Marlette and wife Sandy are longtime residents of Rapid City and of Legislative District 33.  They are active participants in the Rapid City community, always willing to step forward to help make our community stronger.  They have been highly active in Republican circles, having both worked for members of Congress, served as Precinct Leaders, Pennington County Republican Party Board Members and State Committeewoman and Committeeman positions for Pennington County. They previously served as Co-Chairs for the Will Graham Ministry event held in Rapid City and have been highly active in helping the Hills Alive event continue in the Black Hills.

“Through my civilian career, military service, formal education, and life experiences, I believe I have developed the knowledge, skills and perspectives necessary to be an effective, common-sense conservative legislator.  I will be a legislator who listens, learns, and works hard to understand issues and to find meaningful solutions to the challenges facing our state. I look forward to working hard every day for the people of District 33.  I ask for your support on June 2nd in the Republican primary election.”

John Shubeck announces his candidacy for South Dakota District 16 House of Representatives.

I am currently serving as in the South Dakota House, Representing District 16 and am seeking reelection. I serve on the agriculture and natural resources committee, the transportation committee, and the veterans affairs committee. I have always been drawn to serving my community and my country. I served the district through military service, agricultural boards, youth coaching, and church leadership. I am running to bring service-driven, common-sense leadership to Pierre.

I grew up as the son of a farmer in Turner County and I now operate a diversified grain and livestock operation with my family. After completing a 20 year Marine Corps career — earning honors including the Bronze Star Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, and Combat Action Ribbon — I returned home to continue serving as a head track coach and a leader in a growing church in Centerville.

My campaign will focus on:

• Strengthening South Dakota agriculture

Protecting family farms, supporting next-generation producers, and cutting unnecessary regulation.

• Supporting veterans and first responders

Ensuring those who serve have access to the resources and respect they deserve.

• Defending strong families and local communities

Upholding South Dakota values and keeping decisions close to home.

• Promoting responsible budgeting and limited government

Keeping taxes low, spending transparent, and priorities focused on the people.

I love this state and the communities that make up district 16. I live between Centerville and Beresford with my wife and 4 kids. I remain active in agriculture, athletics, and community service. I look forward to meeting with voters across Lincoln, Turner, and Union counties in the coming weeks.

I would be honored to have your support during the Republican primary on June 2. You can find me on Facebook and Instagram

From Punchbowl News, South Dakota’s Senior US Senator is the most effective leader in Congress, according to those in the opposition:

A majority of senior Democratic staffers on Capitol Hill said Senate Majority Leader John Thune is the most effective congressional leader, according to our latest Canvass survey.

When asked which of the “Big Four” is the most effective, 54% of senior Democratic aides chose Thune. Around a quarter — 27%— said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, while 13% said Speaker Mike Johnson.
Just 6% of senior Democratic staffers chose Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Read it all here

STATE REPRESENTATIVE JIM HALVERSON ANNOUNCES RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN FOR DISTRICT 21 HOUSE

WINNER, S.D. – Today, State Representative Jim Halverson officially announced his candidacy for re-election to the South Dakota State House of Representatives, seeking to continue serving the residents of District 21.

“South Dakota consistently demonstrates effective, limited government, thanks to a strong legislative commitment to conservative fiscal responsibility,” said Rep. Halverson. “We maintain balanced budgets, low taxes, and strong educational outcomes while meeting formally for only a couple of months a year. This requires dedicated individuals who approach legislation with common sense, listen to all constituents, and understand that government cannot be all things to all people.”

During his tenure, Representative Halverson has leveraged his background as a former member of the South Dakota Highway Patrol and former small business owner, an electrician, and coach to inform his legislative priorities. He has focused on maintaining public safety, supporting strong educational standards, and improving community health services.

As a member of the Education Committee, Rep. Halverson has voted to protect essential public services, including maintaining resources for the South Dakota State Library, and has championed local control, protecting librarians, teachers, and certified counselors from over-regulation and state overreach. On the Health and Human Services Committee, he has supported critical public safety measures such as the “Safe Baby Box” legislation and increasing public accessibility to life-saving overdose reversal medications like Narcan.

“As a coach, I strive to teach integrity, honesty, and respect, values I carry to Pierre on behalf of District 21,” said Halverson.

Halverson resides in Winner with his wife, Coni.

District 21 includes Aurora, Charles Mix, Douglas, Gregory, and Tripp counties. Absentee voting for the Republican Primary begins on April 17, 2026, with the primary election scheduled for June 2, 2026.

For more information about the campaign, please visit halversonforhouse.com or follow his campaign on Facebook.

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From Facebook, you can listen in with the District 24 legislators as they talk about the budget and what’s coming up in this next session for the district containing the State Capital Building:

Here’s a story that just came out of left field, as the SDSU police chief has apparently been charged with 5 counts of animal cruelty:

The Chief of Police at South Dakota State University has been arrested and charged with five felony counts of animal cruelty after Brookings Police found dogs living in a home he owned in horrendous conditions.

Read that here in the Brookings Beacon.

Update: there’s more from the Brookings Police Department:

The Brookings Police Department arrests subject for felony cruelty to animals

From the kings of wishful thinking, the Independent Brian Bengs campaign commissioned a poll where they believe they can get 31% against incumbent Republican US Senator Mike Rounds.

But only if the Democrat running drops out of the race.

PPP poll | 11/13-11/14 RV

South Dakota Senate

🟥Mike Rounds 44% (incumbent)
⬜️Brian Bengs 31%
Undecided 25%
—
🟥Mike Rounds 52% (incumbent)
🟦Julian Beaudoin 30%
Undecided 18%

(Poll sponsored by Bengs) pic.twitter.com/126Qg5QXco

— Politics & Poll Tracker 📡 (@PollTracker2024) December 4, 2025

Insert eyeroll here.

With the end of the year approaching, it means that the time is upon us.  No, not Christmas. I’m talking about the opposite of peace on earth and goodwill towards men. The 2026 legislative session is coming up, and along with it the biggest campaign in a generation.

Advertising slots are filling at the SDWC but we still have a few key advertising opportunities for reaching South Dakota’s opinion leaders based on a first-come, first-serve basis.

South Dakota War College is getting ready to turn 21 years old.  We’ve spent an entire adult worth of keeping an eye on political leaders, and offering commentary from a conservative Republican point of view. With politics continuing to be controversial and directly affecting people’s day to day lives – people are reading more than ever!

Advertisers – I have a few advertising spots open, and questions on ad prices, ad positions, and ad commitments may be directed to the webmaster by clicking here. Open space available at the includes the #1  and #2 spots on the right, and spots available lower on either side of the page. Ads run in their position through the site, meaning they are not rotated.  Advertising is available on a first-come first-served basis.

And I love my long-term advertisers! Discounts are provided for extended commitments starting at 6 months.

As always, please take a moment to visit our advertisers such as Monae Johnson for Secretary of State,  US Senator John Thune, United States Senator Mike Rounds, Dusty Johnson for Governor, Heath Shields for SD Treasurer, Emmett Reistroffer for District 35 House and others – including our friends at Dakota Town Hall, and my own Dakota Campaign Store,down on the right, you’ll find me getting ready for the elections with yard signs, postcards, and all the things a professional campaign needs to make an impression.

Thank you to our advertisers for your support, and please reach out if you’d like to join them!

Supporting Student Success
By: Gov. Larry Rhoden
December 5, 2025

Ultimately, education is about our future. We want our kids and our grandkids to have the very best opportunity to learn and grow so that they can become well-informed and productive members of our society and get into the career of their dreams. Education is about having the freedom to learn so that our students can chase down opportunity.

I unveiled my budget recently, and it strengthens freedom to learn by supporting continued growth at our tech colleges. I’m proud of South Dakota’s tech colleges – they are some of the very best in America. They’re creating all kinds of opportunities for our kids to get into the careers of their dreams.

Truth be told, I never graduated from college. I did take a year of ranch management at Western Dakota Tech. I thought I’d spend my whole life running the ranch, but God had other plans. Maybe some of our students will follow a similar path – maybe they’ll follow a different path entirely. That’s the beauty of a strong education system: it gives our kids those options and opportunities.

My budget invests $6 million one-time in a new James Abdnor Center for Advanced Manufacturing at Southeast Technical College in Sioux Falls. This facility will increase student capacity by 130 in several programs. The proposed project will include more than 53,000 sq. ft. of new and renovated space that includes state-of-the-art labs, classrooms, and collaborative spaces. This will benefit students in the Advanced Manufacturing Maintenance Tech, Advanced Manufacturing Automation Technology, Mechanical Engineering Technology, and Welding programs to meet the demand in these growing industries. As a welder myself – I approve! The state will support one quarter of the project, and the rest will come from a mix of federal, local, and private funds.

My budget also supports $4.3 million one-time for equipment upgrades at all four of our tech colleges. This will provide two-thirds of the investment as we have done in recent years. Our tech schools will be able to make sure their students meet industry expectations, provide higher safety standards for students and instructors, and grow overall student capacity. My budget also increases ongoing aid to our tech colleges by $1.7 million because of rising enrollment – which is great news! It means more kids are using our tech colleges to pursue opportunity and chase down their dreams.

There’s been a lot of chatter about the fact that we have to keep K-12 education flat this year, and I want to talk about that a bit. I wish we could give an across-the-board increase to the Big Three: K-12 education, Medicaid providers, and state employees. Unfortunately, with nearly all of our ongoing revenue spoken for by mandatory increases, that just isn’t possible right now. But it was important to me to protect K-12 education to the greatest extent possible.

Some legislators have tried to push for 5% across the board cuts in the budget, which would result in a big chunk being taken out of K-12 education. I don’t support that. I don’t think it’s right for South Dakota kids, teachers, or schools – so my budget did not make any such recommendation. So though I wish we could give an increase to K-12, I’m glad that we protected our schools from a budget cut.

I am committed to keeping South Dakota education strong, safe, and free. Thanks to our strong K-12 schools, growing educational freedom options, and state-of-the-art tech colleges, South Dakota kids have tremendous opportunities for their futures.

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From the Dakota Scout, please keep the Barranco family in your prayers.

A Sioux Falls public official and leading contender to become South Dakota’s next state auditor is recovering after a medical emergency earlier this week that nearly cost him his life.

The Dakota Scout has confirmed that City Councilor David Barranco is hospitalized at Avera McKennan in Sioux Falls following emergency abdominal surgery Tuesday, an unexpected scare that kept the Southeast District representative from attending municipal proceedings later that day.

Read that here.

All is well, and he came through like a champ. I also had a note from his wife Catherine on how he’s doing:

Hey…. David is in the hospital right now— he had emergency surgery on Tuesday. He’s doing MUCH better, but it’ll be a couple days before he’s discharged. The silver lining is that by happening right now, he’ll have time to fully recover before the Lincoln Days start back up again!

That sounds like a family committed to the campaign trail!   Best wishes for a speedy recovery to David.