Special interest groups seeking to push Republicans their way. But it’s a recipe for disaster.

If you ever take a moment to read the bylaws of the South Dakota Republican Party, it’s clear that the success of the organization has been based on a well-organized structure, and the ability of the group to keep their eye on the ball of electing Republicans.

The very first item the bylaws lay out succinctly is what the organization is there as a group to do:

1. Purpose: The purpose of the State Central Committee shall be to coordinate the activities of the South Dakota Republican Party, to promote the establishment of Republican principles and policies and to give effective assistance in the conduct of national, state and local elections.

Give effective assistance in the conduct of national, state and local elections.  Boom. There’s the secret to the sauce. TO GET PEOPLE ELECTED. That philosophy has been working pretty well for decades, especially over the past one.

I bring it up as there is continued talk surrounding a group calling themselves the Coalition of Counties, continuing efforts to be “a shadow party” within the hierarchy of the South Dakota Republican Party Organization, sucking away time and resources – that should be devoted to the organizational mission – instead in the pursuit of their own agenda.

So far, their main activity has been to send resolutions to the Attorney General on ballot issues.. as opposed to bringing those things to the State GOP as an organization, so the party can weigh in as one voice.   Take for example one of the larger counties belonging to the shadow group:

Someone please explain to me what on earth that a debate over “controllable electronic records” has to do with providing “effective assistance in the conduct of national, state and local elections.”

Keep in mind that under the banner of the Minnehaha County Republican Party organization, they supposedly directed this message to all Republican South Dakota State Representatives, and not just those in Minnehaha County, as if the Representatives from Pierre or Butte county are somehow beholding to them.

And then we get into their mission creep. Where they shift gears from it having to do anything with getting people elected, and are trying to “impact policies and elected officials.”

They point out that “The South Dakota Coalition of Counties is a group of like-minded county Republican Party officials across the state whose objective is to positively impact policies and elected officials in the State of South Dakota at the federal, state, and local levels consistent with the US Constitution, South Dakota Constitution, and South Dakota Republican Party Platform. The Coalition is comprised of counties that together represent over half the population of the state.”

While the Counties may represent some major population areas of the state, somehow I doubt they represent much more than a very narrow cross section of hard-line party members who seek to berate those who don’t fit into their narrow area of the Republican Party tent.  Really, can someone point out where in the South Dakota Republican Party bylaws they give Minnehaha and other county organizations the ability to form a shadow party group?

It gets even better, as one attendee relates what was discussed at the local Minnehaha Republican Party Central Committee meeting held last weekend.

Search for speaker for Lincoln Day Dinner to be fall of 2023, and other events throughout the year is among other things, a goal.

Schedule Campaign events to encourage more members of the public to involve and participate in events..

And that sounds pretty normal…. and then we run off the rails.

Discussed the fact that there are more than 50 Counties that are forming a coalition to take a stand vs the S.D Legislatire (sic) on many topics, with the goal to organize the voters as one group.

Wait, what?  How is “forming a coalition to take a stand vs the S.D Legislatire (sic)” consistent with the Republican Party’s organizational goal of giving “effective assistance in the conduct of national, state and local elections?”

Because if anything, it would be the compete opposite.

Referring to the SDGOP bylaws concerning County Officers…

5. Duties of Officers:

1. 1. County Chairman: The county chairman, as head of the Republican Party in the county, has the following duties:

1. 1. 1. Direct county Republican Party affairs as well as to conduct the political campaign in the county.
      2. Attend and serve as a voting member at meetings of the State Central Committee.
      3. Carry out the annual plan of party goals and objectives of the state chairman.
      4. Seek to obtain a full Republican slate for all county and legislative positions, including precinct committeemen and precinct committeewomen, in the primary election.
      5. Appoint a county finance director who works with the state finance director as well as the county chairman.
      6. Preside over meetings of the County Central Committee and County Executive Board.
      7. Direct the activities of the precinct committeemen and precinct committeewomen.
      8. Serve on the County Executive Board.

I don’t see anything in those duties about forming a shadow organization to act contrary to, or without the permission of, the State Republican Central Committee. I don’t see anything in that list about taking “a stand vs the S.D Legislatire (sic) on many topics,” either.

I’ve been involved for a lot of years now.. and somehow, I don’t see this ending well.

In recent years the political environment has given rise to a number of groups who have organized to be separate entities from the SDGOP. But they generally don’t run as independents. They still desperately run their candidates as Republicans.

But these groups aren’t interesting in being contributing members of a whole, as opposed to wanting to enforce their dogma. There’s really not any interest in being part of a broad-based political party who holds the majority in the State.  These groups are somewhat inbred in terms of their beliefs in insisting that they are right, echo the worst parts of social media, and often have a false impression that everyone believes in their point of view. They want everyone to fit within the confines of a very small dogmatic box.

But, it doesn’t work that way. And the risk they run in making that assumption is losing elections.

Some time ago I had a discussion with Senator Thune on this very topic. And he noted as I know to be true, that you need different kinds of Republicans in different areas. The kind of Republican who gets elected in Hot Springs isn’t necessarily the kind who can get elected in Brookings. The kind of Republican who gets elected in Box Elder might not be the kind who can get elected in Sioux Falls.

Good candidates are reflective and representative of their communities, not beholding to a special interest group’s checklist.  And that’s something the people at the grassroots who are trying to “take a stand vs the S.D Legislatire (sic)” need to get through their heads before the Republican Party starts suffering catastrophic losses at the ballot box.

It’s not about them. It’s not about their issues. It’s about what all Republicans are seeking in their representation…  And once past a primary, then they need to go sell it in the general election   It’s not about groups taking over local county party groups, and then deciding they aren’t going to stay in their lane because they have a special interest mission.

The Republican party needs to stay on task – getting Republicans elected to serve South Dakota. They need to recognize that’s their primary goal. And it has nothing to do with fronting for special interest groups.