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South Dakota Libertarians Plan August 9 Convention

We haven't heard much from the Libertarian Party of South Dakota this year. They failed to offer a candidate for Governor and thus will lose their status as a recognized political party in South Dakota.

But the Libertarians don't plan to go out quietly. South Dakota Libertarian Party chairman Samuel Saunders tells me that the SDLP will convene on Saturday, August 9, at 10 a.m. CDT in Sioux Falls at the main branch of the public library in meeting room B. Chairman Saunders says there will be candidates, but he is still nailing down confirmations from interested parties. The Libertarians cannot nominate candidates for Governor, House, or Senate (that had to be done pre-primary by the petition process), but they can nominate candidates for attorney general, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor, public utilities commissioner, and commissioner of school and public lands.

The SDLP announcement comes one day before the deadline David Montgomery reported for announcing convention intentions to the Secretary of State. Secretary Gant was reportedly not in the office today to take the SDLP's notification, and official recognition of the convention is not yet posted on the Secretary of State's website.

The SDLP convention will take place at almost the last date possible. Parties must submit their certifications of candidates to the Secretary of State by the second Tuesday in August, which this year is August 12.

So if any of you were thinking of filling the gaps left by our Democrats on the ballot for attorney general, state auditor, and commissioner of school and public lands, the Libertarians offer you a chance to save the day and challenge Messrs. Jackley, Sattgast, and Brunner in November.

Update 17:48 CDT: Former Secretary of State flunky Pat Powers gets an SOS-stamped copy of the SDLP's official notice of its August 9th convention.

16 Comments

  1. Rocky Racoon 2014.07.10

    Chad Haber (L) for Attorney General?

  2. owen reitzel 2014.07.10

    Rocky you took the words right out of my mouth

  3. grainofsalt 2014.07.10

    Chad and Annette's philosophy is that to honor God you must ask big things of God. Big, fat, impossible things, that will not happen unless God brings forth a miracle; so that when the impossible happens everyone will see that it is God who is bringing it about. Doing anything less is an insult to God. This is what they teach their boys. God help those boys.

  4. caheidelberger Post author | 2014.07.10

    My proposed Libertarian slate:
    Stace Nelson for Attorney General
    Ken Santema for Secretary of State
    Bob Newland for Treasurer
    —Emmett Reistroffer for Auditor
    —Kurt Evans for Public Utilities Commissioner
    Ryan Gaddy for Commissioner of School and Public Lands

    Honestly, these guys would do an honest job of representing the values of the Libertarian Party.

  5. grudznick 2014.07.10

    Good old Bob would be better at one of those Commissioner things. You don't want him counting all your doubloons and sorting them into sacks.

  6. daleb 2014.07.10

    Kind of interesting, I may switch my registration to L and rabble rouse.

  7. grudznick 2014.07.10

    Is Mr. Myers, he of the Hubbel persuasion and a fondness for loose yellow ties, a Libertarian? Or is he a Constitutarinan? I understand he is running as an independent but isn't he in one of those other parties? If you got a slate of the Libertarians all lined up and had him at the helm you'd really have an arc of the absurd and Ms. Hubbel would be standing at the helm wearing a 3-cornered pirate hat.

  8. DeeJay Beejr 2014.07.10

    I have often considered myself more of a Libertarian than anything. I don't see Haber fitting that bill, after the man Googled "Republican talking points" and found the only 10 things his wife could ever talk about and never diverge from those 10 things. He could do that for himself with Libertarian talking points. The ironic thing is that both Chanette could have easily been considered Libertarians prior to the past year. Of course, there is still is that pesky lack of a JD. But, if no one else runs, this could get him the supposed sanctuary of the ballot. But while some might think the incumbent AG going after illegalities of a rival might be a conflict, if he went after Chad, I would send Jackley a big donation and put one of his signs on my lawn!

  9. caheidelberger Post author | 2014.07.10

    Daleb, DeeJay, you maybe serving your community by changing your registration, attending the convention, and ensuring that, if Haber seeks any nomination, he does not get it.

  10. Chris B 2014.07.10

    Go Emmett for Secretary of State!! He's already called over 100 libertarians to invite them!!!!!!

  11. DeeJay Beejer 2014.07.11

    Cory, you may have something there.

  12. Ken Santema 2014.07.11

    Well, to show the Libertarian Party isn't so different from the big parties. I took a lot of heat from some people for switching my registration from L to R. I was actually called a LINO. That was a move to support Stace. The Libertarian Party has its 'purist' movements just like the Rs and Ds. At the national level it is even worse. That is part of the reason the L party will never be able to take off. In general libertarians don't fit well into an easily defined party.

    I might have to switch my registration back to L though. The thought of Chad possibly taking that route seems just wrong.

  13. caheidelberger Post author | 2014.07.11

    I'd love to see Emmett and friends organize (well, that may be too strong a word for Libertarians) a big convention and a slate of viable candidates capable of leading real conversations about a wide range of important issues.

    Ken, good point about purism. When you're trying to build a party, you can't be too particular about who shows up. How do we strike that balance between recruiting lots of new members but maintaining a clear, distinct ideology?

  14. Ryan Gaddy 2014.07.11

    I wasnt planning on running, but Im shocked to be picked for Public Lands and Schools lol. I dont really see myself taking up this race. But honored none the less to be in the list of Madville's picks :)

  15. Kurt Evans 2014.07.12

    Cory Heidelberger wrote:
    "My proposed Libertarian slate:
    —Stace Nelson for Attorney General
    —Ken Santema for Secretary of State
    —Bob Newland for Treasurer
    —Emmett Reistroffer for Auditor
    —Kurt Evans for Public Utilities Commissioner
    —Ryan Gaddy for Commissioner of School and Public Lands"

    I'm interested in running for Commissioner of School and Public Lands, provided we have a quality candidate for Attorney General.

  16. caheidelberger Post author | 2014.07.12

    I'm just running through the ranks, Ryan, and trying to figure out which activists might be available to run. Are you interested in any other positions? Are there any of these offices that would be good platforms for advancing the agenda of your marijuana-legalization group?

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