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South Dakota
Political intrigue swirls around upcoming attorney general election in South Dakota – South Dakota News Watch
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South Dakota’s political panorama will enter uncharted territory over the subsequent two months as uncertainty over the Lawyer Basic’s Workplace assessments get together loyalties and candidate {qualifications} heading into the Republican state conference June 23-25 in Watertown.
The query of who will function the state’s chief legislation enforcement official hangs within the steadiness.
Impeached and suspended Jason Ravnsborg, the incumbent, is working behind the scenes to construct delegate help whereas additionally getting ready for his Senate trial, to be held simply days earlier than the GOP conference.
Former three-term Lawyer Basic Marty Jackley has returned to the marketing campaign path to offer the GOP a substitute for the embattled Ravnsborg, forming a political alliance with Gov. Kristi Noem to bolster his case amongst legislation enforcement officers and get together leaders.
And Democratic Celebration Chairman Randy Seiler, a profession prosecutor and former U.S. Lawyer who misplaced to Ravnsborg within the 2018 common election, has advised South Dakota Information Watch he’ll run for Lawyer Basic once more – however solely on one situation.
“I gained’t run in opposition to Jackley,” stated Seiler. “But when Jason emerges because the Republican nominee, I’ll run.”
Candidates for lawyer common are determined not by voters within the June 7 major however by delegates on the conference two weeks later, a course of that permits political alliances to loom as massive as authorized credentials or, in Ravnsborg’s case, being the topic of a high-profile prison investigation.
That creates an attention-grabbing timeline, with Ravnsborg’s impeachment trial set to start June 21. If he’s convicted by a two-thirds majority vote within the Senate, the 46-year-old Iowa native will likely be faraway from workplace and disqualified “to carry any workplace of belief or revenue beneath the state,” in accordance with state legislation.
Something wanting a conviction, nonetheless, means he can run once more. Ravnsborg has been contacting delegates attempting to fend off a problem from Jackley, who entered the race in March of 2021 and has the help of not simply Noem however former attorneys common similar to Roger Tellinghuisen and Mark Barnett.
“I might say circumstances brought about my telephone to ring and e-mail to buzz pretty extensively,” stated Jackley, a 51-year-old Sturgis native who would develop into the primary lawyer common in state historical past to return to the workplace in non-consecutive phrases.
VIDEO: Former South Dakorta Lawyer Basic Marty Jackley, seen right here talking with reporters on the Minnehaha County Courthouse in 2018, is working for the workplace once more. Click on the arrow above to listen to Jackley clarify partially why he determined to mount a problem to incumbent Republican Jason Ravnsborg. Video: Stu Whitney, South Dakota Information Watch
Most political observers see Jackley as a transparent favourite, with the understanding that unusual issues can nonetheless occur on the conference. Jim Gilkerson, a celebration delegate who’s chairman of the Brookings County Republicans, stated he’ll help Jackley due to “frustration” over Ravnsborg’s authorized troubles and the way in which he has dealt with them.
Ravnsborg didn’t reply to an interview request for this story made by means of his spokesman, Mike Deaver.
“I actually like Jason – he’s a private buddy of mine,” stated Gilkerson. “However I don’t suppose it’s going to work for him to be Lawyer Basic after the issues we’ve had. I don’t understand how you could have one thing that severe occur and proceed, and even need to proceed, in that job.”
That’s been a quandary for South Dakota Republicans ever since Ravnsborg struck and killed a pedestrian together with his automobile on a freeway west of Highmore on Sept. 12, 2020, setting off 19 months of authorized and political controversy, together with energy struggles inside the state’s dominant political get together.
Noem pushed for the resignation of Ravnsborg, who pleaded responsible to 2 misdemeanors and averted jail time for the crash that killed Joe Boever. Ravnsborg accused Noem of a battle of curiosity and in search of extra management of the Lawyer Basic’s workplace. Their feud served as a backdrop to the impeachment course of, with Home members voting 36-31 in opposition to Ravnsborg.
In Ravnsborg’s absence, the workplace is being run by Deputy State’s Lawyer Charlie McGuigan, a veteran prosecutor who “can begin the method of restoring belief and confidence within the workplace,” in accordance with Seiler.
“For the prison justice system to function effectively and successfully, it wants the arrogance and belief of the general public,” stated Seiler. “By not stepping down and persevering with to work whereas being the topic of an investigation, Jason put his personal political profession and ambitions forward of the obligations and duties of the Lawyer Basic’s workplace.”
Does that imply Ravnsborg’s defeat is imminent? To not some delegates. Spencer Wrightsman, a District 2 Senate candidate and treasurer of the Minnehaha County Republicans, stated he has spoken to Ravnsborg and desires to see the impeachment trial play out earlier than deciding on a nominee. He additionally criticized the choice to carry the trial so near the conference.
“Due course of is a big deal for me,” stated Wrightsman. “I feel (the timing) does a disservice to delegates and doubtlessly the candidates as a result of it doesn’t give them time to marketing campaign primarily based on what occurs on the trial. I’ve spoken to Jason and messaged Marty a number of instances, however I’m not within the place to select one or the opposite proper now.”
![](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Ravnsborg-election-photop-1024x683.jpg)
Delegates maintain key at conference
Considerations about political machinations outweighing authorized expertise emerged inside the get together throughout Ravnsborg’s 2018 marketing campaign. His major credentials consisted of serving as part-time deputy state’s lawyer in Union County – a task that didn’t embrace lead trial work – and as a lieutenant colonel within the U.S. Military Reserves.
Ravnsborg’s opponents on the 2018 conference in Pierre had been Lawrence County State’s Lawyer John Fitzgerald and Fall River State’s Lawyer Lance Russell, whose state legislative expertise included chairing the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“My evaluation was that I didn’t suppose Jason had ever tried a jury trial, and on the finish of the day, I believed I had an excellent likelihood, and that John had an excellent likelihood due to our expertise,” stated Russell. “I have to say I used to be stunned that neither considered one of us did higher than we did. I believed the delegates may put a bit of extra inventory in expertise.”
Every county will be represented on the conference by its get together chairman, vice chairman, secretary and treasurer, in addition to committeeman and committeewoman. As many as three at-large delegates will be elected within the major. Precinct committee members may serve, that means there are about 2,000 potential statewide delegates.
Ravnsborg, who raised extra money than his GOP opponents in 2018, picked up 47 p.c of delegate votes within the first spherical (by which Fitzgerald was eradicated) and 63 p.c in a head-to-head matchup with Russell to safe the nomination.
“I’ve to offer credit score the place credit score is due,” stated Russell. “Jason ran circles round me when it comes to contacts he had with precinct committee individuals and get together management, and I feel he’s attempting to do the identical factor this time round. Do I feel he can beat Jackley? That’s in all probability unlikely. However Marty needs to be making as many contacts as he can.”
In his acceptance speech on the 2018 conference, Ravnsborg pledged to be a “man for all of the individuals” and urged get together officers to be united for his trigger. However questions on his {qualifications} lingered into the overall election in opposition to Seiler, a profession prosecutor who served as U.S. Lawyer in Sioux Falls from 2015-17.
No Democrat has been elected Lawyer Basic in South Dakota since Kermit Sande in 1972, however two Republicans who held the workplace – Mark Meierhenry and Tellinghuisen – crossed get together traces to endorse Seiler in 2018.
“I used to be taking a look at it purely from a non-political standpoint,” stated Tellinghuisen, who served as Lawyer Basic from 1987-91 and now works in non-public apply in Speedy Metropolis. “I believed Randy had far larger expertise as a prosecutor than Ravnsborg, and it was higher to have somebody with that background within the place.”
Requested if he acquired blowback for going in opposition to the Republican nominee, Tellinghuisen laughed and stated, “No person spray-painted my home or something. I’m positive there was gnashing of tooth after I made the endorsement, however no one reported that to me instantly.”
Ravnsborg acquired 55 p.c of the vote to defeat Seiler, taking workplace in January 2019. The deadly crash got here lower than 20 months later, and Tellinghuisen is cautious to separate Ravnsborg’s job efficiency earlier than the incident from the tumult that adopted.
“I consider that the occasions that led us thus far had little or nothing to do with the precise efficiency or duties of the lawyer common,” stated Tellinghuisen. “Whether or not or not these occasions have undermined public confidence within the workplace, I feel that’s a good query.”
Seiler contends that Ravnsburg remaining in workplace in the course of the probe put the state’s attorneys overseeing the case in a troublesome spot, and {that a} state grand jury or particular prosecutor ought to have been appointed to impartially assessment the “totality of circumstances” – that means Ravnsborg’s actions earlier than, throughout and after the crash.
Requested whether or not he feels vindication because the impeachment trial approaches, Seiler dismissed that characterization.
“I don’t suppose vindication is the precise phrase,” he stated. “With respect to Joe Boever’s household and the circumstances of what occurred, and Jason’s refusal to simply accept any duty for his actions, I feel it’s a tragedy. It harkens again to the notion that democracy works greatest when there are two very important, engaged political events, and folks perceive that the choices they make after they go to the polls have actual and lasting penalties.”
![](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Seiler-at-podium-1024x656.jpeg)
Jackley will get again on marketing campaign path
The artwork of political persuasion was on full show on the Brookings/Moody County Lincoln Day Dinner on April 22 on the Swiftel Middle, the place attendees may bid on a hatchet signed by U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, chat with SDSU Faculty Republicans and scan literature from People for Prosperity close to the doorway.
Noem acquired a standing ovation; Johnson spoke of a coming “pink wave” in November – which his major opponent, Taffy Howard, insisted wouldn’t embrace Johnson; and Jackley self-deprecatingly noticed that A.G. stands for “Virtually Governor,” drawing fun from the gathering of get together officers, candidates and donors.
When the speeches ended, Jackley took a gaggle picture with the Faculty Republicans after which labored the group, partaking in non-public chats with identified and potential delegates till a lot of the room had emptied. His journey for the night time was Barnett, the previous three-term lawyer common and circuit decide who employed Jackley to assist with Speedy Metropolis drug prosecutions within the Nineties.
Barnett thought-about working for AG this cycle till Jackley entered the race, at which era Barnett endorsed his longtime affiliate. That development continued with 59 state’s attorneys and 64 sheriffs supporting Jackley at a crucial time for the state’s high legislation enforcement workplace. Jackley refers to Ravnsborg’s authorized and political entanglements obliquely as “circumstances” or “all that has gone on” whereas not denying that they spurred his return.
“The messages that I received asking me to run had been humbling,” he stated in an prolonged interview with Information Watch. “However it’s at all times been at the back of my thoughts. You’ll be able to inform by the truth that I’m pulling previous ‘Jackley for Lawyer Basic’ indicators out of my barn that I’ve by no means dominated it out. With all that has gone on, although, there’s the next stage of encouragement.”
The previous U.S. Lawyer doesn’t complain about having to woo get together insiders, although that is the primary time he’s getting into a doubtlessly contested lawyer common conference race. He factors out that he has no less than two votes locked up as a result of his mom, JoAnn, and son, Michael, will function delegates in Watertown.
Jackley has felt the strain of getting to fund a statewide marketing campaign in a race determined on the polls. He had hassle holding tempo with the battle chest amassed by Noem of their 2018 gubernatorial major battle, by which Noem captured 56 p.c of the vote.
“There are candidates which have the power to lift cash outdoors of South Dakota, and I’m not a type of candidates,” he stated. “A part of it was my make-up and a part of it was simply actuality.”
Jackley was endorsed within the upcoming lawyer common’s race by Noem in February, benefitting from her dangerous blood with Ravnsborg. He returned the favor by supporting her re-election bid. Jackley insisted that if he wins, the political alliance gained’t compromise his skill to correctly scrutinize or examine all aspects of state authorities in Pierre.
“Going again to after I served beneath Mike Rounds and Dennis Daugaard, you don’t at all times agree on coverage issues,” he stated. “It’s vital to keep in mind that your function is to be chief authorized advisor and never chief coverage maker, whether or not it’s legislative physique, judicial or government, and ensure they’re staying inside the bounds of the legislation.”
As he and Barnett headed to their truck within the car parking zone following the Lincoln Day dinner, Jackley admitted to feeling “assured” about his election prospects, with the caveat that unusual issues can occur on the conference. Tellinghuisen, who defeated Jackley’s father, Mike, on the conference to earn the 1986 nomination, stated the unlikely results of Ravnsborg pulling off a victory would put Republicans in a tricky spot looking forward to November.
“If Jason had been to get the nomination, I’d have to try the Democratic nominee,” stated Tellinghuisen. “However I’d wish to consider whoever will get elected does so as a result of they’re considered by the general public to be one of the best lawyer candidate, not essentially one of the best politician candidate.”
![](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Jackley-with-college-GOP-1024x705.jpeg)
![](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Stu-Whitney-mug-400x400.jpeg)
About Stu Whitney
Stu Whitney is an investigative reporter for South Dakota Information Watch. A resident of Sioux Falls, Whitney is an award-winning reporter, editor and novelist with greater than 30 years of expertise in journalism.
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South Dakota
Videos: Gundy, Players Recap Win against South Dakota State
![Videos: Gundy, Players Recap Win against South Dakota State Videos: Gundy, Players Recap Win against South Dakota State](https://pistolsfiringblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/53962121679_afc402ad55_k-1000x600.jpg)
STILLWATER — The Oklahoma State football team beat South Dakota State 44-20 on Saturday to start the season 1-0. After the game, Mike Gundy, Ollie Gordon, Alan Bowman, De’Zhaun Stribling, Collin Oliver, Korie Black and Trey Rucker met with reporters to recap the game.
South Dakota
South Dakota State vs. No. 17 Oklahoma State live stream (8/31/24): Watch college football, Week 1 online
![South Dakota State vs. No. 17 Oklahoma State live stream (8/31/24): Watch college football, Week 1 online South Dakota State vs. No. 17 Oklahoma State live stream (8/31/24): Watch college football, Week 1 online](https://www.nj.com/resizer/v2/P2NH7TDAORCA3K2CFKZ3D37LHE.jpg?auth=27a73779c5e6defa1fa563e3ee42ddc0fe62687da0c8b6ecc5664751c4c0c4a2&width=1280&quality=90)
The South Dakota State Jackrabbits face the No. 17 Oklahoma State Cowboys on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024 (8/31/24) at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Fans can watch the game with a subscription to ESPN+.
Here’s what you need to know:
What: NCAA Football, Week 1
Who: South Dakota State vs. Oklahoma State
When: Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024 (8/31/24)
Where: Boone Pickens Stadium
Time: 2 p.m. ET
TV: N/A
Channel finder: Verizon Fios, AT&T U-verse, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice,Cox,DIRECTV, Dish, Hulu, fuboTV, Sling.
Live stream: ESPN+
***
Here’s a college football story from the Associated Press:
Y’all ain’t played nobody!
It might as well be college football’s slogan. Debates about strength of schedule are part of the fabric of the sport, like marching bands, cheerleaders and tailgating.
With the size of the College Football Playoff tripling in size from four teams to 12 this season — including seven at-large bids — expect the arguments over the relative difficulty of teams’ schedules to increase exponentially.
The posturing and politicking has already begun.
“This is the NFL of college football in my mind,” Nebraska coach Matt Rhule said during Big Ten media days. At Southeastern Conference media days, the NFL was also invoked when the topic steered to schedules.
“As coaches we want to play the best. People forget that when you’ve spent time in the NFL, every week was like that,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “So when Texas and Oklahoma came into the conference, every schedule was going to get harder.”
The debates aren’t just about which conferences are the best. With super-sized conferences of 16-18 teams, the differences in strength of schedule within leagues can be significant.
The CFP selection committee uses a strength-of-schedule rating provided by SportSource Analytics that includes components such as wins and losses, scoring differential and game location.
Balancing who you played with how you played will be harder than ever.
“There’s a weight on the committee that’s new. I want to see how the committee processes that,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said during spring meetings. “And my encouragement is that this, ‘Well, we have an undefeated team so they’re in’ is not the standard. It never was the standard. Obviously, that stirred up controversy last year.”
Toughest schedules in the Power Four
There are dozens of data-based rating systems to measure the relative strength of college football teams, and all have some type of schedule-rating component.
The AP took three systems — ESPN’s SP+, FEI and KFord Ratings — and averaged their strength of schedule rankings for all 134 Bowl Subdivision teams to determine where each Power Four team’s schedule ranks nationally (all games, not just conference games, are factored in).
Using those projections, SEC teams on average will be facing the toughest schedules this season.
The average strength-of-schedule ranking among the 16 SEC teams is 11.2, from Florida (a unanimous No. 1 among all three systems) to Missouri at 36.7.
Half the teams in the SEC have schedules with an average national ranking of 10 or better, including No. 1 Georgia at 3.7. No. 11 Missouri is the only SEC team with an average schedule-strength ranking below 25.3.
Rating the rest
The Big Ten, now including Southern California, UCLA, Oregon and Washington, is next with an average strength-of-schedule ranking of 26.9 among its 18 teams.
Purdue’s 7.7 average ranking is the highest followed by No. 23 USC at 9. Big Ten favorite No. 2 Ohio State’s average is 34. No. 3 Oregon’s is 26.7.
The ACC and Big 12 are about the same. The 17-team ACC has an average strength of schedule ranking of 49.9. The 16-team Big 12′s average ranking is 47.3.
Assessing strength of schedule
Straight up rankings can be deceiving. How to quantify the difference between facing the sixth-ranked schedule and 26th?
Brian Fremeau, the creator of FEI, does it three ways, asking three questions: How many games would an elite team lose facing a particular schedule? How many would a good team lose? How many would an average team lose?
AP used FEI’s strength of schedule ratings based on good teams in its composite rankings, since good teams are going to be the ones in the CFP race.
Based on FEI projections, the difference between playing Georgia’s schedule (rated 3.4 among the hardest in the nation) and Ohio State (34) is about one more loss for a good team against the Bulldogs’ slate. The difference between Alabama’s schedule and Big 12 favorite Utah’s is about two losses for a good team against the Tide’s.
If these schedule strength projections held — they will change throughout the season — it would then be reasonable to compare an 11-1 Utah to a 9-3 Alabama.
Reasonable to compare doesn’t necessarily mean the one with the tougher schedule should automatically be ranked higher.
“I don’t judge a team on its schedule. I judge a team on how it performs against a schedule, or my system does. And that is a little more of a nuanced take then, ‘Well, we played a tougher set of opponents than you did, therefore, we’re better,’” Fremeau said. “There’s a bit of a balancing act between the two.”
Intraconference debates
The SEC and Big Ten are both bigger and division-less for the first time. That necessitated new tiebreaker procedures to determine which teams qualify for conference title games featuring the top two teams in the standings.
Within the guidelines is an acknowledgment that the rigor of conference schedules will vary when teams are playing barely half the league. After head-to-head and record vs. common opponents are used to break ties, both leagues go to results that favor the team that fared better against the better conference opponents they play.
The ACC, a year ahead of the the SEC and Big Ten in abandoning divisions, has a similar nod within its tiebreakers to strength of schedule.
ACC Associate Commissioner Michael Strickland said the conference used 10 years of data that measures the success of its football teams to help create a new schedule rotation that would be competitively balanced. But the ACC also to had weigh travel now that Stanford, California and SMU are members, as well as protecting some traditional annual rivalries.
The ACC’s fourth two-team tiebreaker is combined winning percentage of conference opponents.
“Our head football coaches suggested that we insert that during our review process,” Strickland said.
The CFP choices
The CFP field announced Dec. 8 will be comprised of the five highest-ranked conference champions, regardless of league, and seven at-large selections. There is no limit to the number of at-large bids a conference can receive.
The most interesting comparisons for the CFP selection committee might end up being between the many conference rivals that do not play each other in the regular season.
What to do with a 10-2 Missouri and a 9-3 Alabama (composite strength-of-schedule ranking, 9.3)? Or Iowa (37) at 10-2 and Michigan (16) at 9-3? Over in the ACC, what would happen while assessing a 10-2 Virginia Tech (68) and a 9-3 Florida State (30.3)?
“Especially when we’re picking (seven) teams now, we’re looking at the loss column with a bit more scrutiny,” Fremeau said. “They’re going to be debating teams like that with a one or possibly two-game difference in record, but a comparable difference in expected schedule rating and they’re going to have that debate about which one they value more.”
(The Associated Press contributed to this report)
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South Dakota
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