The Sioux Falls Argus Leader has recognized where the race for Sioux Falls Mayor is going and has crossed the political divide to endorse Paul TenHaken to serve as the next Mayor of Sioux Falls.

Though Paul TenHaken and Jolene Loetscher are both political newcomers with an opportunity to bring fresh leadership to Sioux Falls, it was crucial to shed light on which candidate was most prepared to guide a growing city into a challenging new era, and to hit the ground running.

As the May 1 election approaches, those distinctions have been drawn. It is our conclusion that TenHaken’s experience and leadership qualities make him the best choice to succeed Mike Huether as the city’s next mayor.

The former ClickRain CEO has done an effective job of not just selling himself as a candidate but sharing a vision of what his administration might look like when the campaign bluster subsides.

and…

TenHaken has promised to bring more City Hall perspective to economic development talks, hold regular sitdown sessions with city councilors and improve partnerships with neighboring municipalities whose prospects are linked to Sioux Falls.

and..

As for Loetscher, the small business owner and former TV reporter ran a strong, polished campaign that surprised many pundits and opponents. It’s possible that she needed to come out swinging in the runoff to make up percentage points from the initial vote, but the strategy did not serve her well.

Read it all here.

The momentum continues with Team TenHaken, as they get ready to move forward to election day.

Don’t forget to get out and vote!

Governor’s Statement on the Passing of Rep. McPherson

PIERRE, S.D. – Gov. Dennis Daugaard offered the following statement on the passing of State Rep. Sean McPherson of Rapid City:

“Linda and I are very sorry to hear of Rep. Sean McPherson’s passing. Sean was a good legislator, but more importantly he was a good man: a husband and father, a pastor and a veteran. Linda and I were particularly honored to have Sean and Kris join us last fall in Connecticut to christen the USS South Dakota submarine. We extend our sympathies to Sean’s wife Kris, their children, and their many friends and family at this difficult time.”

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I’ve been talking to friends in Sioux Falls in about the state of the Mayoral race, and it really doesn’t sound good for Jolene Loetscher’s chances going into the weekend.

I’ve heard terms referring to the Loetscher Campaign going into this weekend like “quicksand,” “death spiral,” and that her campaign is “in free fall” at this point.

The last chance to change minds, the Argus Leader/KSFY debate, didn’t change anyone’s mind other than to solidify that TenHaken is a Republican, and Loetscher is a hard-left Democrat. Which should not surprise anyone.

Now, there’s nothing left but getting out the vote.

As one person noted to me, they could not recall when a candidate for municipal office had had that many hard body blows inflicted on them in one day in reference to Loetscher’s electoral woes.  They rattled off:

1. The police press release calling her ad misleading, and disagreeing with her claims of police support.
2. The Argus Leader article decrying her utter lack of transparency.
3. The release of the investigation results by the Sheriff/DCI noting no evidence.
4. The eventual release of ‘the voice mail,’ which underlined her embellishment of the whole voice mail incident.
5. The ‘dog poo collection as biotechnology’ embellishment.

..and not only were each of these hard blows to her campaign efforts, but they were all unforced errors.  They were largely preventable, self-inflicted episodes of stupid.

Lets not kid ourselves. Political campaigns naturally lend themselves to puffery. But it can backfire, and can be seriously injurious to a campaign.

I had a candidate I was helping once who wanted to claim in a letter to supporters that they were the chief deputy within a Sheriff’s office, because he did that job. But he did not have the title and in the office, the Sheriff made the decision there was to be no Chief Deputy.  I noted that I didn’t think it was a good idea, but they insisted.

Guess what the opponent turned into a 2-3 day news story, including quotes from his boss that there was no chief deputy?  Ugh. And we ended up losing by 100 votes.

Puffery and embellishment are largely the cause of Loetscher’s woes this week, and it just didn’t need to happen.  Why claim you had police support when you didn’t? Why claim ‘hacking’ and try to finger your opponent when you have no evidence of it? Why claim you’re a biotechnology pioneer, when you actually have a business collecting dog poo and shipping it to a lab?

Sioux Falls is coming off a mayoral term of office where the incumbent was called out for his embellishments. Does anyone think the media is going to give those who want to be his successor a pass on exaggeration? NO!

Everyone running for mayor did ran including transparency in their platforms because the citizens of Sioux Falls are weary of the kind of leadership style they’ve had for the past 8 years. So, when Loetscher started to exhibit the same hucksterism Mayor Mike Huether has been criticized for, there’s not going to be any free passes given.

The campaign blows of this week could not have come at a worse time for Loetscher. Each of them landed to devastating effect, and each of them underlined the basic problem of her constant over-embellishment, and questionable truth.

On top of it, since some of it was part of a negative campaign directed at her opponent, she made it even worse for herself. Because TenHaken’s supporters are irritated, motivated, and fully engaged at the same time hers are demoralized and moving away.

As long as TenHaken’s supporters get out to campaign and get out to vote, this should go the way it needs to go. Sioux Falls is ready to get rid of the embellishment, & hucksterism they’ve grown weary of.

And that means it should be “no go Jo” on May 1.

It was announced at the Lincoln Day Dinner in Grant County that State Representative Sean McPherson passed away this afternoon.

The Rapid City Journal also has a story up:

Rapid City legislator Sean McPherson died Thursday after a more than yearlong battle with cancer.

“I am heart broken to learn my friend Representative Sean McPherson from Rapid City has lost his battle with cancer,” South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley said in a tweet Thursday evening. “He is in a better place now and his legacy will not fade. He was a remarkable husband, father, public servant and friend to everyone. He will be deeply missed.”

And…

McPherson’s fight with cancer began in February 2017. He lost his leg to a tumor a few months later and was thought to be cancer free by that summer. But in December it was discovered that the cancer had metastasized and was now growing in his lungs.

Read the story here.

Sean was a gentleman, and a just a plainly decent person.

Please keep his family in your prayers.

We have a new advertiser joining us on Advertiser’s row. Welcome CyberClimb!

The fine folks at CyberClimb (including our friend Kristi Golden) are joining us as they work with candidates on their social media. According to their website:

CyberClimb is a multi faceted Social Media Strategy and Management team that will come alongside you and your small business or product start-up. We take time to get to know you, your team, your goals and your story.

Our mission? Demystifying the field of social media for small or not so small businesses. We can create a consistent, professional and current image on the social media sites that find your target client.

Our website design and development team will create an interactive website that becomes another business tool for your company as well as your clients. Search engine optimization and analytics are constantly monitored and we can help you make sense of it all.

Check out their website here, and give them a call to talk about how you as a candidate or your business can optimize & target your social media!

Brown County State’s Attorney Chris White Endorses Jackley

ABERDEEN, SD: Attorney General Marty Jackley is Brown County’s choice for governor, says State’s Attorney Chris White in a new endorsement video released today.

“As state’s attorney, I’m looking for a governor with conservative credentials, a solid relationship with law enforcement, and a vision to move South Dakota forward,” White said. “Marty’s been a conservative his entire life, he’s been endorsed by 62 county sheriffs, and he’s shown us he’s a collaborative leader who listens. For my family and the people of Brown County, he’s the best choice to lead our state.”

White became Brown County’s chief prosecutor in 2017 after serving as the county’s chief deputy state’s attorney. He lives in Aberdeen with his wife Jamie and their three children.

“We’re humbled by the outpouring of support we’ve seen in Brown County from community leaders like Chris,” Jackley said. “This race is really about our kids and grandkids—the next generation of South Dakotans—and with Chris on Team Jackley, I’m confident we can build a safer and more prosperous future for all of us.”

Watch White’s endorsement on youtube here or on facebook here.

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The South Dakota Republican Party has a mailer hitting households in Sioux Falls today wishing Republican Mayoral Candidate Paul TenHaken good luck in the May 1 runoff election (against liberal Democrat Jolene Loetscher):

The information is flowing faster than I can keep up with!

The Paul TenHaken for Sioux Falls Mayor Campaign has a new TV Commerical posted this morning. Which you can watch here:

Kingsbury County States Attorney Endorses Ravnsborg for Attorney General

DeSmet, SD: Kingsbury County States Attorney Gregg Gass endorses Attorney General Candidate Jason Ravnsborg.

“Jason has earned my endorsement with his ideas to make improvements to SB 70 and SB 73 as well as his understanding of the issues of Kingsbury County.” Gass said “Jason is someone I know I can work with and call upon for advice and assistance in the future”.

Gass resides in DeSmet, South Dakota. He has been the Kingsbury States Attorney since 2009. Gass is a partner in Gass Law P.C. which has offices in Brookings, DeSmet and Arlington, South Dakota.

“Jason understands that the position of Attorney General is one that takes effort each and every day. Jason is the best candidate for Attorney General that I believe has the endurance, work ethic, leadership and legal experience to handle all of the responsibilities of the office.” Gass said. “Jason has my full endorsement and will have my vote at the State Convention and in the General Election”.

If you want to learn more about Jason and his campaign check out his website at www.jasonforsouthdakota.com

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The Paul TenHaken for Sioux Falls Mayor Campaign is making a big campaign push this weekend, and can use volunteers to grab a broom (or dial some phones) and help in the election effort. 

Date: Saturday, April 28th
Time: From 10 AM to 4 PM
Location: 2300 S Minnesota Ave, Sioux Falls
What: Stop by for calls, walk lists, sign waving, and more!

Volunteers can just show up unannounced, to put in a couple of hours to help Paul win in his election this coming Tuesday.

Be there!