Steve Duffy is running for South Dakota's House District 32 as a Republican, against Incumbent Becky Drury (R-Rapid City). His wife, Helene Duhamel (R-Rapid City) is a current South Dakota State Senator and long time public broadcaster.

However, the Rapid City businessman was a registered Democrat, running for public office multiple times on the Democratic ticket prior to changing party affiliation this election cycle. Additionally, The Dakota Leader has uncovered sizable donations from Duffy to Democratic party candidate, Hillary Clinton.

Sources have told The Dakota Leader that an effort exists within the South Dakota Republican party to replace currently elected office holders, seen as being problematic to the established status quo.

Tensions reached a boiling point this legislative session, as factions within the party fought over critical policies. Most notably, were the conservative policies proposed by Gov. Kristi Noem, later killed in the Senate by President Pro Tempore, Lee Schoenbeck.

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It now appears that Schoenbeck is leading the charge via his South Dakota Strong PAC, which Duffy’s wife, Sen. Duhamel, recently donated to. Schoenbeck's efforts are also being funded, yet again, by Dana Dykehouse, the CEO of First Premier Bank, owned by billionaire Denny Sanford. BNSF Railroad, owned by Warren Buffett is another notable financial contributor to Schoenbeck's PAC.

Buffet’s BNSF Railway just launched an extensive expansion program, after supporting Republican candidates and Gov. Kristi Noem’s 2018 campaign. The project was funded by South Dakota taxpayers, via Gov. Noem’s budget to the tune of 24.4 million dollars, despite pushback from "fringe people," as Schoenbeck says. Ironically, after the Keystone pipeline was closed down by the Biden Administration, BNSF Railroad has been the sole beneficiary of the closure, as crude oil is now transported via railway.

Schoenbeck, listed as the Director of the South Dakota Strong PAC, launched a similar mailer attack campaign this week, as he did during the last election. In the last South Dakota election, Schoenbeck partnered with Deb Peters (also of First Premier Bank) to replace six of the legislature's most conservative lawmakers, with Sanford backed candidates, like Sen. Erin Tobin (R-Winner) and Rep. Taylor Rehfeldt (R-Sioux Falls).

Billboards that popped up around Sioux Falls during the impeachment review of Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg, targeted some of the same individuals that are now being attacked by Schoenbeck's latest mailer attacks.

Representatives Tom Pischke (R-Dell Rapids) and Spencer Gosch (R-Mobridge) found mailers had been sent to the voters of their districts this week, falsely claiming they had voted to raise taxes. The mailers were paid for by the same South Dakota Strong PAC, funded by Senator Duhamel, Dana Dykehouse, and Warren Buffett according to campaign filing reports.

The PAC currently shows a balance of $32,000, and will most likely be used to help support Duffy’s campaign for House District 32. Schoenbeck has been very outspoken regarding plans to replace the remaining five to six votes standing in his way.

“I think it’s critically important that traditional conservative Republicans are the voice of our party and not these unusual fringe people,” Schoenbeck told the Argus Leader Friday morning, though he declined to say how much his PAC spent on this round of attack ads and how many incumbent lawmakers are being targeted. “This is an election that’s gonna have a lot to say about it” [Joe Sneve, “The Start of Early Voting in South Dakota Is Marked with Republican In-Fighting,” Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 2022.04.22].

However, the current Secretary of State, Steve Barnett does not require campaign filers to update their finance reports in real-time. Voters will find out after primary if Duffy will receive the $2,500 dollars his wife has donated to the South Dakota Strong PAC. What is clear for now, is that the Republican establishment is recruiting Democrats to run for office.

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--Breeauna Sagdal- Health and Policy Journalist for The Dakota Leader

Post Date: 2022-04-23 18:48:43

Last Update: 2022-04-23 21:25:31