Joel Ebert of the Pierre Capital Journal maps itemized campaign contributions to South Dakota's U.S. Senate candidates. The map only includes data from the 2013 year-end filing, but it's still a fun click.
Ebert also lists the top ten South Dakota cities for Senate campaign cash as of December 31:
- Sioux Falls: $210,845
- Rapid City: $92,702
- Pierre: $61,638
- North Sioux City: $27,150
- Watertown: $26,485
- Aberdeen: $23,518
- Sturgis: $20,687
- Brookings: $19,165
- Huron: $18,950
- Fulton: $16,386
The fine folks of Fulton can thank their hometown guy Stace Nelson for vaulting them into the ranks of big-money politics. Larry Rhoden's neighbors put Sturgis on the money map.
North Sioux City makes fourth place thanks to lots of Dan Lederman's friends giving Mike Rounds money. All but one of the 2013 donations from the Sioux City tax-dodgers' suburb went to Team Rounds. The only North Sioux City money that went to any Senate candidate other than Rounds was $500 that liquid fertilizer honcho Dirk Lohry gave to Annette Bosworth on November 5, 2013. But Lederman pal Lohry also gave Team Rounds $100 on March 8, $1000 on April 5, and $500 on June 12...
...which further supports the theory that Rounds supporters want Annette Bosworth on the ballot to divide the anti-Rounds vote and protect their crony's chances of winning the primary.
And Vermillion did not even make the list. Maybe we have just given up?!?!?!
So, every person in Fulton donated $8193.00? Amazing!