Still not much chatter on who might be South Dakota Dem’s next chair.

@SoDakCampaigns

As I was working on a few items related to the installation of the SDGOP’s installation of a new chairman, it jogged my memory regarding the fact that South Dakota Democrats have little more than a month to go for their own party elections in Oacoma next month:

May be an image of text that says '" The South Dakota Democratic Party will hold elections during its first quarter State Central Committee meeting at Arrowwood Resort Cedar Shore in Oacoma on February 25, 2023. The meeting will begin at noon central time. Elections will be held for SDDP state chair, vice chair, treasurer, and secretary; regional representatives to the SDDP Executive Board; and officers of the Oceti Sakowin Caucus. SDDEMS Dakata South ocratic'

It’s going to be interesting to watch, as I was relating back in November, current chairman Randy Seiler has already announced that he will not be holding the hot potato of Democrat Chairmanship anymore:

SDDP Chairman Randy Seiler chose not to challenge his friend Marty Jackley for attorney general, allowing Jackley to return to his old job without a contest. Seiler plans to retire, leaving the state party in flux yet again.

Read that here.

Republicans had expressed interest in the GOP chairmanship long before 30 days out. Yet, over in the ‘D’ league, Randy Seiler let it be known in early November that he didn’t plan to run again, …and the number of Democrats who seem to be looking at the job is zero. Zip. A null value.

It doesn’t come as a complete shock, with Seiler left the job as Vice Chair in late 2019 to right the ship after the prior chair, Paula Hawks and her Executive Director Stacey Burnette abandoned and literally ran away from the Democrat Party within 4 months of taking office in the face of a financial disaster. This was after a multi-year effort by Hawks to take the reins from prior chair Ann Tornberg, making plans to challenge her leadership of Democrats starting in 2017, and then doing so in March of 2019.

Not to belabor the point, but as Paula Hawks quickly found out, the wrong person in charge can leave you in a fairly disastrous situation. And it doesn’t seem like anyone is eager to line up to be the next Ann Tornburg.

3 thoughts on “Still not much chatter on who might be South Dakota Dem’s next chair.”

    1. Yes! Go back over to the nonsensically impaired blog and submit a resume.

      John Dale for SDDP Chair

      Who will drive you to the meeting that is not impaired?

  2. I t looks like Ryan Cwak is probably out. Seiler made a premature announcement.
    It looks like Jennifer Slaight-Hansen will probably announce.
    Others mentioned as possible/likely are Dennis Weiss of Flandreau, and John Cunningham, who ran unsuccessfully four years ago. Pam Cole is mentioned as another possibility.
    Sleight-Hansen and Cole have long experience in the party and extensive contacts. Weiss and Cunningham have strong management credentials leading large organizations, but have smaller power bases.

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