Clockwise from top left are campaign messages funded by the political action committees South Dakota Safety Action, Rushmore Principles, Defend US, and Dakota First Action. (Illustration by Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)
PIERRE, S.D. (South Dakota Searchlight) – The candidates themselves are not the only ones raising and spending money in South Dakota’s race for governor. Political action committees not officially associated with the candidates have spent over $1.3 million in recent months, and new campaign finance reports show where some of the money came from.
The June 2 Republican primary includes Gov. Larry Rhoden, U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, state House Speaker Jon Hansen and Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden. The winner will advance to the November general election against presumptive Democratic nominee Dan Ahlers.
Political action committees had to file their pre-election campaign finance reports Monday. Those reports show that the largest player among the independent committees active in the race for governor is Rushmore Principles, which is registered in South Dakota but run by Hadyn Smith of Mountain Brook, Alabama. Smith has not responded to messages from South Dakota Searchlight.
The committee’s new report shows it received contributions from a federal committee, Republican Forward, totaling $1.4 million. Rushmore Principles reported about $1.3 million in spending, including about $1.2 million on digital media and direct mail opposing Rhoden. The anti-Rhoden messaging has criticized Rhoden’s approach to tax policy. Rushmore Principles also reported spending about $51,500 on direct mail opposing Hansen.
Republican Forward’s major contributions include 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. Among other donors, Republican Forward has also received $100,000 from Genesis Farms Cannabis Company, which has multiple medical marijuana outlets across the state.
Republican Forward is a super PAC. Due to U.S. Supreme Court decisions, super PACs are legally allowed to raise and spend unlimited amounts as long as there’s no coordination with candidates. In South Dakota, political action committees can receive unlimited contributions from other political action committees.
A state-registered political action committee called South Dakota Safety Action has been active against Hansen. The committee is run by Tabor Shabot from a Sioux Falls address. It reported $20,000 in total contributions, all from Dan and Jan Joyce of Frankfort, Illinois. The committee spent about $18,000 on a “Jon Hansen Weak on Crime” mail and text message campaign, the committee’s report says.
Dakota First Action, a committee originally founded by Doeden, has promoted a “Republican Primary Voter Guide” through a website branded as South Dakota Tax Watch. The site describes South Dakota Tax Watch as a “policy watchdog,” but its disclaimer says it was paid for and approved by Dakota First Action. The guide criticizes Rhoden, Hansen and Johnson while presenting Doeden favorably.
Dakota First Action’s most recent state report showed little activity, with $6,600 raised and about $10,600 spent during the reporting period, leaving about $16,300 on hand.
A federally registered group, Virginia-based Defend US PAC, has been active against Johnson with messaging framing him as insufficiently conservative. The committee is on a federal reporting schedule, and its most recent report covered January through March, revealing little to no information about its more recent activity in South Dakota.
Defend US PAC’s contributions during the January to March period came from other political action committees or organizations, including $95,000 from the Affordable Energy Fund PAC, which in turn received its most recent contributions from other political action committees.
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