In the midst of all the SDGOP chaos over the last couple of weeks, one item that has gone quietly under the radar is that the party has hired on Reggie Rhoden as the new executive director for the organization.
Reggie, who recently had stints at the Secretary of State’s office as election coordinator under Monae Johnson in Feb of 2023, and was Deputy Auditor in Meade County from November 2023 until recently, certainly has exposure to the campaign trail as the son of Lt. Governor Larry Rhoden, who has long served in the South Dakota State legislature before taking the #2 position under Governor Kristi Noem.
It may be a bumpy road for the younger Rhoden, as he assumes the reins of a party organization focused on purging Republicans from Reagan’s big tent.
Aside from their attempts to silence me at the last Central Committee meeting, factions within the party are also seeking bylaw changes to strip the body of experienced people who know how to win elections. As submitted to the Central Committee by purveyors of the party purge:
“State legislators and paid lobbyists shall be ineligible from holding any State Executive Board position.”
This measure currently proposed to the SDGOP Central Committee and under review by the bylaws committee, perfectly illustrates the dilemma that the South Dakota Republican Party finds itself in as the inmates seek to take over the asylum. Should this bylaw measure pass, it would act to immediately strip the state Republican Party of it’s Chair (Sen. John Wiik), Vice Chair (Rep. Mary Fitzgerald), and Treasurer (Pierre attorney & lobbyist, Brett Koenecke), leaving only the treasurer, Marilyn Oakes to run the party. It would also knock out a few other exec board members, such as former chair and current lobbyist Dan Lederman.
In their attempt to bar legislators, the party would be stripping itself of being led by those who have skin in the game, and over the past two decades were a major part of turning the tide from just competing against Democrats – who held up to all three federal offices – into the GOP being the solely dominant political organization in the state. This came about as a result of the efforts of many chairmen & women, but you can’t deny the influence that legislators had in the success of the party.
Certainly, congratulations are due to Reggie Rhoden in his new position in leading the GOP.
Unfortunately, it comes at a time when there is a faction of the party hell-bent at returning the Republican Party to the bad-old days when we used to lose a few too many elections.
Reggie Rhoden is a great guy & a very good choice. Wishing him success in the new position!
These folks will spend 10x the time focusing on by-laws changes than convincing an independent voter to support Republicans in the general election. Their sense of reality is distorted.
On another note, good for the party to have a solid ED. Good luck, Reggie!
I have a recollection Marilyn Oakes got herself a blue badge at one time too, but I don’t know if she was paid.
Chairmen typically have gotten blue badges to testify. So, if they’re remunerated in any way for their role, are they automatically dumped?
I’d say this was stupid, but they went past that a while ago. (Which is why the CC is mad at me, because I point out obviously stupid things. )
Hilariously, this bylaw change will make Rick Weible unable to serve in State Party leadership. Given the drafted proposal, it only states “Paid Lobbyist.” Given new (bad and likely unconstitutional) definitions of lobbying in Minnesota and Rick’s lobbying of elected officials in Minnesota, he would be deemed unqualified to serve. It’s almost guranteed that “Midwest Swamp Watch” and “SD Canvasing” are paying funds to Rick or filling his car with gas to travel to these places. By Minneaota law, he is a paid lobbyist then and, per the drafted rule, unable to serve in SD party leadership as the bylaw change doesn’t state that it only applies to South Dakota lobbyists.
Has no chance of passing. Very few support that position. Anyone can propose a bylaw. Just because one idiot did doesn’t mean it has support.
We can hope. Because right now, things are headed this way.. https://inforum.com/opinion/columns/port-republican-legislative-candidate-denied-party-membership-over-4-year-old-facebook-post?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar
That’s our entire country.
I doubt it’ll even make it out of committee.
the impending ownership of the rnc by the trump family makes a lot of this moot for anyone not worshipping at the trump shrine.
your platform planks will be for trump. the money you raise will be raised because of trump, so trump will need to have it sent upward to the rnc because it effectively is his money if you raised it because of him.
trump uses the gop and his house control like an extra arm, or a tentacle. it’s not much of a party any more, by which i would mean a place where you and other like minded people would give your money and proxy to EACH OTHER for the greater good. your money gifts and proxy go to trump and whatever he wants.
i fully now expect to be accused of “trump derangement” again, by people exhibiting real trump derangement in wanting him back in the white house. have a good day all.
So happy to have Reggie on our team. I’ve worked on several campaigns with Reggie and he’s a hardworking young man. He also has a great attitude and works well with people.
The Republican Central Committee is starting to act like the Supreme Soviet of Mother Russia. Hopefully, young Mr. Rhoden will straighten this bunch out.
Good for GOP and Reggie.
Based on my few (limited) interactions with Reggie, be prepared for a short stint with fireworks as he is not the type to listen and more the type to speak.
hmm if they really want to kick all the elected officials out of party leadership, amend this to include the entire state central committee so we can exclude Tom Pischke and Janet Jensen too
and who else?
Not so fast: the really nefarious section is #2. They want to provide a summary or spreadsheet of the audit to county chairmen: why not the actual audit itself? In other words, “we’ll give you our filtered version of the finances, not the actual finances as verified by an independent 3rd party.”
Audit should be public record and open to anyone who wants to see it. Should be on the website and even printed in the party newsletter. Oh, wait . . .
the financials are filed with the SOS anyway
these nuts think there is a nefarious conspiracy behind everything
What looked to me a serious conspiracy enthusiast NK Braithwaight posted something that claimed Mr. Rhoden was abusive trying to do his duties but when I read it he took the time to explain in detail what the process and responsibilities were. Very professional.
With these misguided activists looking for a conspiracy in every corner it is really taking a toll on our public servants.
Any chance we can get these folks to discover a new healthy hobby and get them out of everyone’s hair?
NK Braithwaite is one of the meanest people you will ever meet. She’s a transplant from Minnesota. She not very smart either.
She really gets your goat, huh Mary. It’s tough to be held accountable and she has done a good job with that. She’s a 20 year retired military veteran. Why do you hate veterans?
Does being a vet give one a free pass from being nuts?