By Local political action committees have been active in this year’s primary election.
Two Aberdeen-based groups — Dakota First Action and Triple R PAC — are contributing to Republican candidates on different parts of the GOP spectrum. Other PACs have also been backing candidates from the region.
Legislative candidates and PACs had to file pre-primary campaign finance disclosure reports with the South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office by May 20.
Dakota First Action PAC amending campaign finance report
Dakota First Action, established by businessman Toby Doeden, is in the midst of filing an amended report after the initial filing had a notable error.
In Dakota First’s original report, Doeden was listed as having made an itemized individual donation of $100,000 to the PAC. The limit is $10,000 under state campaign finance law.
Doeden said the $100,000 should have been listed as a loan, not a contribution.
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Doeden
“I spoke with the folks from the finance team and they were already aware of this and working on filing the amended report,” he said in a statement. “Earlier this month, I executed a loan of $100,000 to the Dakota First Action PAC. This was mistakenly classified as a contribution rather than a loan, due largely to the fact that the South Dakota (secretary of state’s) finance portal is extremely outdated and fails to function properly. As soon as I was notified of the error, we began the process of filing an amended report.”
Doeden said he hired a business to establish and oversee the PAC.
An individual giving more than $10,000 to a PAC could be charged with a misdemeanor under state law, though that would be exceptionally rare. It’s not uncommon for campaign finance reports to be amended.
Doeden’s PAC has spent $25,000 on data acquisition, according to the pre-primary report. Only about $45 in other expenses were paid for, and no donations were made to individual campaigns, though Dakota First has sent out text messages in support of candidates.
Doeden has pivoted since exploring congressional run
While Doeden briefly considered a run for Congress, forming an exploratory committee, he instead pivoted, saying he wants to fund conservative political candidates in South Dakota who he feels are good for the state.
The candidates Dakota First has “endorsed” to date are politically further right. Locally, they include Carl Perry in the District 3 House primary and Kyler Dinger, who is one of three men in the Brown County Commission Republican primary race.
Here are a handful of takeaways from other pre-primary filings, starting with the fact that all legislative candidates from districts 1, 3 and 23 met the deadline.
Triple-R PAC has many Aberdeen ties
A local political action committee called Triple R PAC is helping District 3 House candidate Katie Washnok, District 1 House candidate Tamara St. John and District 23 Senate and House candidates Steve Roseland and JD Wangsness, respectively.
Triple R has donated a total of $25,000 to their campaigns and paid for more than $3,000 in other expenses, mostly advertising.
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The PAC has contributions from some notable names in town, including Harvey Jewett, Cynthia Jewett, Jim Thares, Kevin Fiedler, Jeff Sveen, Robert Fouberg, Kerry and Donna Boekelheide, Nathan Reede, Steven Lust Automotive and others.
It should be noted that donors can contribute to more than one PAC or candidate.
Triple R had a balance of more than $87,000 at the time it filed its report. The candidates it is supporting are generally considered to be more moderate Republicans.
Big bucks being spent in District 3 House primary
Washnok received $10,000 from Triple R. The Leading South Dakota PAC made a $5,000 donation to her campaign, according to her report.
Former state Sen. Russell Olson, R- Wentworth, is the chairman for Leading South Dakota.
Also of interest are modest donations from Dusty Johnson’s Dusty PAC and the Daugaard for South Dakota Candidate Committee. Both were for $500.
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She reported $32,330 in itemized individual donations and made a personal loan to her committee of just more than $15,000.
Perry’s campaign has received $15,210 in individual itemized donations and roughly $11,000 from in-state political action committees, per his report.
Al and Kathy Novstrup of Aberdeen kicked in a $2,000 individual donation for Perry. He is seeking a seat in the Senate as Al Novstrup is term-limited out in the Senate and is again running for House.
The Honest Leadership PAC, operated by Drew Dennert, a Republican Brown County commissioner, gave Perry’s campaign $5,000.
Perry made a $3,500 loan to his own campaign.
District 1 campaign finance reports largely routine
Chris Reder’s financial report was routine. No individual contributions topped $300, and in-state PACs contributed $5,850 to his campaign with all but $100 coming from Dennert’s Honest Leadership PAC.
Logan Manhart’s report showed $17,017 in contributions of more than $100 from individuals, the largest of which is $3,130 from Grant and Marcia Manhart.
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He also received $5,050 from Protect South Dakota Property Rights, an in-state PAC.
St. John’s filing listed $950 in individual donations as well as $12,625 from in-state PACs, including from the Dusty PAC, South Dakota Ethanol Producers PAC and MORT PAC. That’s the political action committee of Rep. Will Mortenson, R-Pierre.
POET contributed $500 to St. John’s campaign directly, though not through a PAC.
District 23 Senate
Roseland’s filing showed $8,200 in itemized individual contributions, with the largest total — $3,000 — from himself. He also made a $5,000 loan to his campaign.
In-state PACs donated $16,700 to Roseland’s campaign, including $5,000 from Triple R. Considerably smaller donations were from the Dusty PAC, the MORT PAC, the NorthWestern Energy Employee PAC and the Soy PAC.
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His opponent — though the men think much the same — in the District 23 Senate primary, Mark Lapka, lists $25,350 in individual itemized donations of more than $100. He’s taken in $5,250 from entities, most of them agriculture-related. And he’s received $1,300 from in-state PACs.
District 23 House
Wangness’s pre-primary report lists $14,600 in campaign contributions from in-state PACs, including $5,000 from Triple R. The Dusty PAC, MORT PAC, South Dakota Ethanol Producers PAC, Soy PAC and Northwestern Energy Employees PAC also donated, though none of the contributions topped $1,000.
The Wisconsin-based American Carbon Alliance PAC has chipped in $500, and Wangsness listed $6,750 in itemized individual contributions of at least $100. He also lent his campaign $9,000.
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Scott Moore took in $7,100 in campaign contributions from in-state PACs, according to his filing. Among those contributing were the South Dakota Educators Political Involvement Committee, the Dusty PAC and the South Dakota Freedom Caucus.
Moore listed $1,500 in itemized individual donations of $100 or more.
As is the case with some other candidates, Spencer Gosch’s filing is straightforward. He’s not received more than $1,000 from any person or PAC. He’s received $2,500 from in-state PACs and $3,000 from entities.
Brown County Commission campaign finance reports
County commission candidates had to file their pre-primary reports with the county by May 20, and all three Brown County Republicans on the primary ballot did so.
Dinger received $1,500 from the Thin Red Line in-state PAC and $7,205 in individual contributions. In a supplemental filing, he notes four $1,000 donations from Charlotte Liebelt and businesses she’s associated with, including XL Recreation Corp., Liebelt Special Products Group and XL Homes Corp.
BJ Schaefbauer of Aberdeen is listed as the treasurer of Thin Red Line. He is the husband of Brandei Schaefbauer, who serves District 3 in the state House. The PAC also made a $234 donation to Perry.
Triple R donated $5,000 to Michael Carlsen, who also reported $775 in individual contributions.
Duane Sutton’s filing listed just $60 in individual contributions, while he made a $1,750 loan to his campaign.