Today South Dakota State Senate Republicans have completed leadership elections for the upcoming term. No surprises here, as leadership had solid numbers going into the meeting.
While the hard right had recruited Josh Klumb to challenge Lee Schoenbeck for Speaker, losses this week for their voting bloc including Maggie Sutton and Joel Koskan put a tenuous challenge even further out of reach.
Selected were:
Lee Schoenbeck – Senate President Pro Tempore
Casey Crabtree – Majority Leader
Mike Diedrich – Assistant Majority Leader
Helene Duhamel, Jack Kolbeck, David Wheeler and Ryan Maher were selected as whips.
Tobin should have been I’m the AML slot.
Looks like it’s 109% Schoenbeck’s caucus. Kolbeck being the only non Schoenbeckian elected to leadership.
Maher is not in his click either
Jeff, the correct word is “clique” not click.
It isn’t even supposed to be pronounced “click” but given the way South Dakotans mispronounce almost every French word, you can be forgiven.
Only a snooty elitist would not say “warsh” and “you betcha”
meh it is understandable that we don’t want to pronounce the state capital as “pee-AIR”
or even DeSmet which should sound more like “dis-MAYED”
But “FLAN-drool” and “Belle FOOSH” are silly.
Youngberg has advised Crabtree all the way to the top.
Crabtree seems very polished.
His rise is interesting in that he has never faced opposition. Unchallenged in ’20 primary when Youngberg dropped out at deadline, appointed by gov to vacancy, no general, ’22 primary weak pischke recruited opponent, no general, no challenge for majority leader. I would say he’s doing things right.
Youngberg took out Parsley twice in very tough races.
Crabtree faced opposition once, he was Russell Olson’s choice to replace Les Heinneman when he dropped out after the primary a few years ago. He lost to Randy Gross.
Youngberg/Crabtree for governor in ’26.
Gross
Lol. OK. Youngberg would have never been elected again for not paying his bills to so many debtors.
To correct your statement, no one “recruited” me I made the decision to run entirely on my own. I was simply the lesser of two evils for the far right. One of whom I am not. If anyone heard anything differently it’s simply gossip.
Congratulations to one of the finest, most levelheaded, civil individuals anywhere, Senator Mike Diedrich! We all benefit from Senator Diedrich’s thoughtful, respectful demeanor!!
Not a comment on the individuals themselves, but do you really need four whips for a caucus of thirty-one?
anonymous at 9:56, I wonder if four whips will be enough to keep the wackadoodles in line.
I would say much more than the Dems need a Whip at all.
Novstrup could not deliver on his promise to oust Schoenbeck
Novstrup is just butt-sore about Schoenbeck’s comments on his hair.
Dix still bothering him?
In favor of term limits and yet has served 22 years. Talk about hypocrisy.
Why wasn’t Joel Koskan considered? These liberals are running the state!