S.D. State Senator Lance Russell Seeks Attorney General Position
HOT SPRINGS, S.D. (Sep. 20, 2017) – South Dakota State Senator Lance Russell announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for South Dakota Attorney General today.
“If elected Attorney General, I will support stronger laws and enforcement of those laws to ensure open government and safer communities,” Senator Russell said in his candidacy announcement for Attorney General. “Violent crime has recently been on the rise in South Dakota, and my number one priority will be to halt the upward trend in violent crime.”
During Senator Russell’s time as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he focused on issues of government transparency, accountability and protecting Constitutional Rights, which according to Senator Russell was a significant factor in his decision to run. For his Legislative efforts, Senator Russell has earned 100 percent and A ratings from South Dakota Right to Life, the National Rifle Association and the National Association for Gun Rights.
Senator Russell is an active member of the South Dakota Republican Party. He previously served as the Executive Director for both the South Dakota Republican Party and Pennington County Republican Party. He also has served as Party Chairman in his home county of Fall River.
Senator Russell continues to work at his 17-year private practice as an attorney in Fall River County, where he served two terms as the Fall River and Shannon County State’s Attorney from 2001 to 2008. For the past nine years, Russell has served in the South Dakota Legislature as both a Representative and Senator, for a total of seventeen years in public service.
“My life as a public servant has been about fighting for victims, property owners, open government, and quality of life issues for our communities,” Senator Russell said. “Taking these positions to a state-wide platform as our state’s next Attorney General gives a new administration a fresh look at conducting the people’s business in the open to protect the taxpayers of this state.”
The Republican party will announce their nomination at the 2018 Republican State Convention next year in June.
###
About Lance Russell
Lance Russell is the current State Senator from District 30 and serves as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. He is a candidate seeking the Republican nomination for Attorney General.
Russell has over 17 years in public service, formerly serving as the District 30 Representative and as Fall River County and Shannon County State’s Attorney. Russell runs his own private practice as an attorney in Hot Springs, South Dakota, where he and his wife Starla are raising their four children, Julia, Madison, Warren and Grant. He is a prominent Republican Party member, previously serving as the Executive Director of the South Dakota State Party, and for the Pennington County Party before that, and has served as the Chairman of the Fall River County Party.
Russell earned a Juris Doctor Degree from the University of South Dakota School of Law and a Master of Laws Degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Law from the University of Denver College of Law. He represents Grassland Grazing Associations and is City Attorney for several municipalities in the southern Black Hills.
Very impressive.
A handsome devil, to boot.
I wish he would stay in the state senate, a solid conservative vote there.
I don’t see that he has much of a chance for Attorney General.
Will Rep. Tim Goodwin seek to move over to the State Senate, he is a solid conservative?
Maybe one of the numerous state house candidates will run for something again or Sen Rampelberg could run for his old seat.
Russell drastically undercuts Ravnsborg.
McGuigan and Russell both undercut Fitzgerald. Fitz is kind of the sweet spot candidate but I don’t see a large base. If these were head to head races he’d win outright but as of now he the man on an island.
Everyone I talk to thinks it’s a two person race between McGuigan and Russell. The question is can Russell make it over 50% and can McGuigan get out of the first round for a head to head.
These people you talk to, when you lo
I apologize, my phone cut me off.
These people you talk to, are they located outside of pierre? I think there is a very different sentiment every where in the state. I live in the North Eastern part and it seems like Ravnsborg country to me. That’s what happens you work as he appears to be.
Russell is a progressive and not nearly the conservative he touts himself to be. He refused to support an Article V Convention of States and even supported revoking the Second Amendment rights of everyone who works in the Capitol building. Check his voting rrcord. He is very careful to walk a centrist line. If you want a solid conservative, Jason Ravnsborg deserves your support.
Jason has no legal experience. He is not what he seems. If you dig deep it will all come to the surface.
My big issue with him has always been that he brought Lee Stranahan to SD. Stranahan then trashed Jackley for a year. I’ve never heard Ravnsborg address it.
Russell is in a strong position. Many people I know who support Russell would support Fitzgerald or Ravnsborg if he wasnt in the race.
What did he trash Jackley about?
To me Russell is disqualified from day one, he was censured. He is dishonest and should not hold any position. Think of how he would corrupt the AG office and what it stands for. Russell has no chance at AG.
A. [Russell] exercised poor judgment and violated the Rules of Professional Conduct Rule 3.8 concerning special responsibilities of prosecutors; Rule 4.4(a) concerning respect for rights of third persons; Rule 8.2(a) concerning judicial officials; and Rule 8.4(a)(d) concerning professional misconduct. He used his office as State’s Attorney: (a) to further local political aims of his associate and advisor, Schjodt and others who shared opposition to the golf course project; (b) to enhance and/or defend his own political career; and (c) by failing to use his independent professional judgment in the conduct of the investigation of the golf course project.
B. [Russell’s] misconduct (1) in publicizing and putting the grand jury transcript on his web site and (2) in preparing and in issuing the press release criticizing Judge Davis for the delay in the trial of the Fast Horse case, standing alone, warrant the discipline that this Referee is recommending.
Please keep it factual. There is no evidence Lance has been dishonest. There may have been a disagreement with his legal tactics, but his honesty was not at issue.
I think he’s the favorite to win. He knows the party apparatus best and has it packed with his people.
Guys, not kidding about keeping things factual.. as well as on topic.
All of the people running are all pretty decent people, so as opposed to trashing them, keep it to why you support someone.