By State Rep. Chris Reder, R-Warner, has taken to Facebook to dispute allegations that he’s no longer a resident of Legislative District 1, which includes most of rural Brown County.
Reder’s residency has been questioned by conservative blogger Pat Powers of South Dakota War College. Powers alleges that Reder is claiming owner-occupied or “homesteaded” status for a residence in northwest Minnesota.
Reder
In a Facebook post, Reder explained that he is still a Warner area resident, but no longer owns the land that was home to the DTOM Veterans Ranch just north of Warner.
“Due to a downturn in the economy and decrease in donations, we were forced to sell the Warner ranch in order to keep servicing veterans in our area. With that sale came the agreement that we could still lease parts of the property for use and the dwelling. So, I am still at that address, just under a signed lease agreement instead of ownership of the property,” Reder posted.
The property is now owned by JH Rentals of Warner, according to Brown County property records.
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Reder said he and other stakeholders in the veterans ranch are weighing their options for the future and will advise everyone as soon as a decision is made.
“At the current time, my family is taking time to process and work through my grandmother’s funeral, and I would like to ask for everyone’s respect and patience during this difficult time,” he wrote.
According to Powers, a corporate filing with the South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office on Jan. 19 reveals that Reder’s address is now Bagley, Minn. Powers posted paperwork on which Reder lists addresses in both Warner and Bagely.
A Minnesota Legionnaire article published last month, for which Reder is the only source, notes the DTOM Veterans Ranch is now on 40 acres near Bagley. Reder bought that land in July 2023, according to a filing with the assessor’s office in Clearwater County in Minnesota.
Those records seemingly show that single-family home built in 2014 is listed as “owner-occupied.”
In January 2024, Reder said in an Aberdeen Insider story that he had bought an acreage in Minnesota, but was bringing a team of horses back to the Warner area to provide therapy riding sessions to help local veterans that spring and summer. He said at the time that the horses were wintering in Minnesota.
Reder’s driver’s license and voter registration are still in South Dakota, Powers acknowledges.
Shortly after being elected in November, Reder was weighing whether he would be sworn in for his first two-year term. He said at the time that he was dealing with some health issues, but ultimately decided to serve in Pierre.
Scott Waltman contributed to this report.