By Joshua Haiar | South Dakota Searchlight
Campaign finance reports show side that suffered losses last time spending heavily to ‘take back what they lost in 2024’
A Republican rupture that shook the South Dakota Legislature two years ago is returning to the ballot Tuesday, this time with more money and organization on the side that lost control in 2024, plus a governor primary that’s expected to increase turnout.
Campaign finance reports reviewed by South Dakota Searchlight show a total of at least $2 million spent by 23 groups so far this year to influence legislative primary races.
The result is a slate of Republican primaries that will test whether the 2024 intraparty revolt was a lasting or temporary shift. That year, 14 Republican legislators lost to challengers from their own party in the primary. Many of the ousted lawmakers had supported legislation that sought to regulate, rather than defeat, a proposal for a five-state carbon capture pipeline proposed by Iowa-based Summit Carbon Solutions that would have run through eastern South Dakota.
Opponents of the legislation — expressing concern about the private property rights of landowners along the route — referred it to voters, who rejected it in the 2024 general election. Opponents also won enough legislative seats in 2024 to replace the Republican legislative leadership team and ultimately pass legislation banning eminent domain for carbon pipelines, a law that has so far kept the pipeline out of the state.
The pipeline fight turned out to be the opening salvo in a broader struggle among South Dakota Republicans over economic development. Subsequent debates have centered on incentives and regulations for data centers, and state government’s role in aiding businesses.
Dueling Philosophies
Spearfish Republican Scott Odenbach, who became the state House majority leader in 2024, called the spending against him and his legislating a sign that opponents “are tired of watching energy get wasted on headlines and chaos while real issues affecting families, communities, healthcare, education, and public safety take a back seat.”
PAC Ties to Business Leaders, Governor Race
One of the biggest spenders in this year’s primary is the South Dakota Republican Forward political action committee. So far this year, the PAC has reported spending $271,000 on ads, $216,000 on postage and $140,000 on printing to influence legislative races.
Republican Forward’s fundraising includes large amounts from the Sioux Falls business community: $500,000 from POET ethanol, $300,000 from First Premier Bank Chairman and CEO Dana Dykhouse, $150,000 from MarketBeat founder and CEO Matthew Paulson, and $100,000 from Lloyd Companies.
The same federal super PAC has also funded spending against Gov. Larry Rhoden and state House Speaker Jon Hansen in the race for the Republican nomination for governor. The primary beneficiary of that spending is U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson.
Current Leader Resists Push from ‘Business Class’
Odenbach runs the state-registered Liberty Tree PAC, which has spent $48,000 this year supporting candidates on the other side of the Republican divide. He said “the Sioux Falls business class” is afraid that “conservative principles and the free market might govern the state instead of crony capitalism and sweetheart deals.”
Comeback Attempts
Among the 14 Republican legislators who lost their primary races in 2024, 10 are attempting a comeback: Former Rep. Fred Deutsch (R-Florence), Former Rep. Byron Callies (R-Watertown), Former Rep. Tyler Tordsen (R-Sioux Falls), Former Sen. Jean Hunhoff (R-Yankton), Former Sen. Erin Tobin (R-Winner), Former Sen. Ryan Maher (R-Isabel), Former Rep. Gary Cammack (R-Union Center), Former Sen. David Johnson (R-Rapid City), Former Rep. Becky Drury (R-Rapid City), and Former Sen. Julie Frye-Mueller (R-Rapid City).
