Elections are over for the South Dakota Republican Party, and the new leadership for 2025-2026 is finalized.
Here’s what it looks like for the South Dakota Republican Party:
- Jim Eschenbaum, Chairman
- Janet Jensen, Vice-Chair
- Tina Mullally, Treasurer
- Starla Russell, Secretary
Well, Starla will do a nice job.
*Update*
Dakota Scout hung around long enough to pick up the people who were elected to the executive board:
Rounding out the regional advisory board for the party was: Tom Pischke in District 1, Ben Krohmer in District 2, Doug Post in District 3, Rich Hilgemann in District 4, Tom Bruner in District 5, and Ezra Hays in District 6.
Show of hands for those who are all excited now to donate money to the Republican Party?
My thoughts exactly.
I have no words.
The house that Wiik built.
The house that Trump built. This is happening nationwide. It won’t end well.
Can’t blame John for this. He tried
John’s not blameless though, he did more than his share in feeding the nonsense that led to this.
Please explain?
Go check out what he considers “reliable sources” on his social media. Drink enough Kool-Aid and the rest of us can’t tell when you’ve gotten sucked into a cult yourself.
It wasn’t Wiik. For years we saw this coming as candidates for constitutional offices recruited crazies to serve as delegates to state conventions.
Some of the worst ones had supported Stace Nelson for US Senate and were then easily recruited by Lance Russell when he ran for AG.. Stace had done everything he could think of to destroy the party when he was in Pierre, Nobody was conservative enough, they were all RINOs.
The newly recruited precinct committee men and women showed up at conventions, created as much chaos as they could, and refused to do the job they signed up for.
The State Central Committee saw the problem, realized the bylaws needed to be changed to put a stop to the nonsense, but nothing was done, and the result was the chaos that erupted at the 2022 convention.
This all happened before Wiik becane chairman.
This is true. Sattgast recruited more crazies than anyone in his race against Mehlhaff for Treasurer. That brain drain remains.
These wackjobs are one step away from creating their own sovereign nation & constitution.
S.D. GOP staring Starla and the three stooges. Seen daily on Comedy Central.
I don’t know Mr. Eschenbaum. The google machine says that he was appointed to some board by our former AG Ravnsborg. The fact that he was apparently close to that AG gives me great pause.
The party as we once knew it is over. I’m sure there were other signs, but when they elected Ravnsborg that was a sign of things to come.
Looking forward to someone starting an initiative putting the statewide candidates on a primary ballot. No more elections where you can literally win a statewide office with 300 votes. It’s tougher to win student senate elections. Government is run by those who show up, and it’s the crazies that show up. There’s so many other Republicans out there. Maybe they don’t show up to party events, but they sure should have a voice in who is elected without having to take a weekend away from work or their kids to drive to Watertown or Pierre or wherever the convention happens to be.
Goodbye credibility. Goodbye legitimacy. Goodbye integrity… My sincerest condolences to all who worked so tirelessly for years to build it within the South Dakota Republican Party. It’s now gone. But by my estimation , the SDGOP soon will be too.
If there were ever a time for the SDDEM’s to get their shit together, this would be it – hope they’re ready to pounce, this is key opportunity .
Some of the new breed of Republicans are worse than the Democrats.
Are you listening, Dan Ahlers? Don’t screw this pooch like the last one.
Yeesh! I’m not acquainted with Eschenbaum, but believe that name translates as “ash tree” … (insert your own joke). The 3 women are a train wreck.
I don’t know Eschenbaum or Russell…Janet is a nice person and Tina is bombastic. My concern is that they do not have the gravitas to strengthen the party and raise money to make it solvent.
Will Tina and Janet resign from the Freedom now?
Is Janet related to infamous Phil?
It’s his wife.
Doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Oh dear!
Infamous Phil?? He is ridiculous, for certain. . Weak leadership has also let him get away with things so his behavior goes unchecked. What a shit show session.
Infamous: well known for some bad quality or deed. He absolutely fits the bill.
Pat,
Now would be the appropriate time to agree with me that these cockwombles will surely turn South Dakota purple and then blue.
Indeed, Mr. Randazzo. But as a Howitte of Gordantic Proportions you have little credibility.
Hey Grudzy, Don’t you think it’s time to join the 21st century? Mr. Howie took a turn I couldn’t support, so we went our separate ways years ago. We now have a state in danger that we must try to save from the wackos. Maybe you should consider parking the cheap shots.
Right on point, Ed. I moved to Minnesota (briefly!) in ’93. The state party was so bad statewide registration was around 11% even though Arnie Carlson was Governor and Tim Pawlenty was rising through the ranks. Not great conservatives, but, not raving lefties, either. Neither bothered getting the party endorsement. Then Jesse Ventura came along and the party folded completely into irrelevancy, giving the hard left a free ride to socialism. So, now we’re sharing a border with California North and nut cases are moving here from both Left Coast’s like lemmings.
George Mickelson once said, “The world is run by those who show up.”
The pipeline is absolutely toxic in SD.
Only toxic if you believe all the lies of the Radicals…
This pipeline is wanted by the majority of the landowners on the route & the rest of us who raise corn & know what a boost it would be to SD Agriculture!
I would disagree. If you are in favor of the pipeline you are in favor of the Biden Harris Green energy scam also. Quit looking for a handout. All this is is taxpayer dollars funding someone else to line their pockets.
I think the majority was heard loud and clear based on the RL21 vote. The majority, at the very least, is certainly NOT in favor of a pipeline created without voluntary easements for 100% of landowners.
Can Tina balance a checkbook?
No – she proved that with the Federation of Crazed Women when she royally effed up their finances.
Why anyone would let her near an organizations money (again) is so far beyond fathomable!
I give this 60 days, TOPS…
oh now i remember that, one of the past presidents said, “we had trouble with the budget, it was a nightmare! ” Huge uproar resulting in the removal of their sitting president, but it seemed to be a matter of the money not adding up, she had been going over every thing with Tina.
This is bad. Really bad.
The removal of that president had literally nothing to do with the budget. It had everything to do with behavior.
in all fairness, the financial issues the SDFRW faced probably had something to do with their banking with Wells Fargo where the employees were creating fake accounts in customers’ names. The customers were being charged fees, multiple social media posts were rants about money disappearing from their legitimate accounts, they didn’t know where it went. Turns out money had moved into accounts they didnt know they had, causing overdraft charges. All kinds of craziness. Wells Fargo fired 5300 employees over millions of these phony accounts. https://money.cnn.com/2016/09/08/investing/wells-fargo-created-phony-accounts-bank-fees/index.html
No, Wells Fargo had nothing to do with it. Anon @6:55 was right. Karon’s removal was due to Karon’s behavior.
The financial issues under Karon were due to Karon spending constantly with no fundraising to bring in money. Since Karon was removed, the three Presidents following her were much more fiscally responsible, making sure to raise thousands of dollars more than they spent. Now SDFRW has more money in the bank than SDGOP.
The issue was with Karon.
Remind me what Tina filed in her last campaign finance report …
Time is ripe for a new, centrist party in South Dakota and for the Nation. Extremes of both parties need to be ignored and the centrists/moderates on both sides need to unite. The GOP of Reagan is gone. Its dead. Time to create something new
Yep! Totally agree!
I’m a Democrat and you’re dead center on track. The far right and left on both parties can’t continue with all their extreme nonsense. It time to start talking to each other and meet in the middle. I fear for our country if we don’t.
The SDDP is it’s own worst enemy. Cliquey and feel like we are stuck with the anti-social left behinds. They don’t even go by what they originally stood for anymore.
A new serious party that was more moderate could seriously attract some people and some money. Probably enough money to put the nail in the financial coffin of the GOP. At this point, I’m for it. But is anyone serious enough to do it?
With all the garbage on display in Pierre right now, this is still who is elected to run our party? It’s beyond ridiculous. Tina is certifiable. Listened to some committee meetings and I’m not sure she is intelligent to type an email on her own. Jensen?? Are we serious right now? Is the Tom Bruner mentioned, Tom Brunner from Newell area? If so, integrity has gone out the window as he has none. Read about his shenanigans at Dakota war college about him diverting party funds to events to remove sb201. Not a party platform. Wake up people!!
Not a single nickel, wackadoodles all.
They have invaded the Republican party by calling themselves Republicans. They were only out to destroy the Republican party and in doing so will allow the Dems to take over. Hope they are happy. with the Dems in control instead of the good, hard working Republicans we once had.
Several years ago, mid-right teamed with far-right on a “RINO” hunt. Now far-right teams with far, far-right to hunt the mid-right.
Most “RINOs” I know are pretty reasonable folks, so maybe fences can be mended. Let’s hope.
I know none of these people, but I wish them the very best in achieving goals that positively affect rank-and-file South Dakotans.
Wingnuts of the world unite!
How many more can fit into this clown car? Zero credibility among all of these doorknobs.