South Dakota Republicans Stand Strong at Their Convention

Stu CvrkJune 30, 2022

Commentary

The successes of South Dakota are the result of a strong Republican Party.

The South Dakota state GOP convention was held on June 23–25 in Watertown, South Dakota. By Saturday, there were over 600 delegates registered and certified from 59 of South Dakota’s 66 counties. The main convention organizer was Dan Lederman, the state GOP chairman; the convention host, chairman, and facilitator was Ried Holien, mayor of Watertown.

While there were no official themes for the convention, unofficially the focus included: 1) a celebration of the Roe v. Wade decision, including praise for former President Donald Trump’s nominations of U.S. Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett, without which the decision would have been impossible; 2) the example set by the state during the pandemic, including no lockdowns or mandates, less than 2 percent unemployment, ranked number two on the list of top moving destinations in 2021, record tourism in 2021 and continuing this year, and continued business expansion across the state; 3) the positive results of adherence to Republican principles of low taxes and regulations and personal and economic freedoms; 4) concerns about election integrity, as expressed by some elected officials and many delegates; and 5) the need to fight against the Biden administration’s continuing authoritarian encroachment on state and individual rights, including red flag laws, land grabs, and unlawful federal mandates.

June 23

On Thursday, the primary focus was on establishing the rules of the convention, which were debated and voted upon in an open forum. Committee meetings were held to address the state GOP platform, proposed resolutions, election training, and site selection for future conventions.

Thursday also included an after-hours BBQ at a local resort that featured a keynote speech by Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee. She echoed many of