South Dakota
Q&A: South Dakota attorney general talks about advising Trump team
Prior to President-elect Donald Trump’s ill-fated choice of Matt Gaetz as his first pick for U.S. attorney general, Trump and his team had been getting advice for several years from a group of Republican state attorneys general that includes South Dakota’s Marty Jackley.
Jackley said the “America First Attorney General Advisory Council” has convened through calls and meetings, including gatherings at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida with various Trump transition staff members.
In a recent interview with South Dakota Searchlight, Jackley, who’s also a former U.S. attorney for South Dakota, had little to say about Gaetz.
“At the time of that announcement, I had not met Congressman Gaetz, so I didn’t really have an opinion formulated,” Jackley said. “I want to be fair to him. I never had the opportunity at the time of that announcement to meet him.”
Gaetz’s tenure as the
expected nominee
lasted eight days. During that time, he resigned his seat as a Republican congressman from Florida. All the while, debate swirled about investigations into his alleged drug use and payments for sex, including with an underage girl. Gaetz ultimately
withdrew himself
from consideration as Trump’s nominee.
Trump
has since said
he’ll nominate Republican former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi. Jackley said he’s known her since 2009.
“I’m happy that the president has looked to the state attorney general community and Attorney General Bondi,” he said. “Somebody that has the prosecutorial experience to lead the Department of Justice in a different direction.”
Following are excerpts from Searchlight’s interview with Jackley, edited for length and clarity.
How did you find yourself in this advisory role with the Trump team?
Well, a couple of years ago, through America First [
America First Policy Institute
], a group of us attorney generals were put together on what I would call the “America First Attorney General Advisory Council.”
That includes occasional calls. It includes occasional meetings together. Most recently, several of us gathered at Mar-A-Lago. And really, the focus is not on politics, but the rule of law and providing advice, like several other advisory groups do.
That focus, at least for me, has always been, what is the rule of law? What relationships can be better established between federal, state and local prosecutors? What is the role of the Department of Justice?
I openly talk about having been a U.S. attorney. I care deeply about the Department of Justice. I left being a partner in a law firm to be a part of that. And I’ve seen it go away from a direction that I would hope that it is brought back to. And I believe that Attorney General Bondi is the right person for that, to have it more focused on the rule of law, public safety and protecting relationships between all prosecutors.
What do you mean when you say you’ve seen the Department of Justice go “a direction” you don’t like?
I’ll use an example. Recently, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland
came to South Dakota.
He never reached out to the attorney general. He never reached out. I was the outgoing chairman of the attorney generals. There was no discussion about the things that you and I just talked about: How can there be stronger federal partnerships?
The type of conversation that you would expect is, “How are federal and state relations?” They’re good in South Dakota. I feel that my relationship with the U.S. attorney is very strong. We are one of the few states that I’m aware of that our attorney general forensic lab in Pierre does some of the evidence forensic testing for the FBI.
Certainly, I’ve built and maintained strong relationships with our tribes. I would have liked to see a conversation about how can federal, state and tribal authorities work together and what can we do to partner?
And so, that’s an example.
Another example is, there seems to be a lot of special prosecutors.
I think if you look from my approach as attorney general, you don’t see me doing that. Sometimes when you’re the attorney general, you have to make the hard decisions, and the danger of a special prosecutor is they can get political, they don’t have proper oversight at times, and I think Jack Smith demonstrated that. There were concerns about things that he brought, and then right after an election he dismissed them. [Smith prosecuted Trump for election interference and mishandling classified documents, and recently
dropped the cases
for the time being, saying it would be unconstitutional for his office to continue prosecuting the incoming president.]
If you look at me as an example, I once as attorney general had to indict a Republican United States Senate candidate [Annette Bosworth,
convicted of a dozen felony counts
of election law violations in 2015]. I did not do that at election time, despite some criticism from the public and from the media. I waited until after the election to bring that indictment. It resulted in a conviction, but I didn’t want to affect an election.
And so, those types of examples are what many of us attorney generals want to see the Department of Justice get back to: working with local, state and other federal prosecutors, U.S. attorneys, to bring public safety, and to protect basic freedoms, and to not be overly political.
John Hult / South Dakota Searchlight
What happened during your trips to Mar-A-Lago?
I’ve gone the last two years, and as part of that trip, using an example, we had an opportunity to gather and talk with several of us and leadership of what I would call the Trump transition about these various topics — the rule of law, what we as attorney generals would advise and like to see. I think that location is just generally where a lot of the transition is taking place.
Why do you like the choice of Pam Bondi as nominee for U.S. attorney general?
I’ve had the opportunity to serve with Attorney General Bondi. She came to South Dakota for the Law Enforcement Appreciation Dinner in 2017.
I want to speak for myself: I’m happy that the president has looked to the state attorney general community and Attorney General Bondi, somebody that has the prosecutorial experience to lead the Department of Justice in a different direction.
What do you think picking Gaetz and then Bondi says about the president-elect’s judgment?
I feel strongly that he made the right choice in Attorney General Pam Bondi. And I look forward to the support that I foresee the attorney general community giving her during the confirmation process, and I look forward to serving with her once again in her now role, once confirmed, as attorney general of the United States.
What’s next for the state attorney general group advising Trump?
I don’t know that this advisory role will change. I believe in the Department of Justice and what it stands for, and I hope and I believe that the direction will focus more on those things I’ve talked about: the relationships with the prosecutors in the field, the rule of law, not having politics play such a role in the actions of the Department of Justice.
I, first and foremost, am the attorney general of South Dakota, and that is my utmost interest, and to the extent we can be advisers on other issues, to me, the border is exceptionally important. Every day I come to work, I witness what an open border does with methamphetamine, fentanyl, the illegal gun trade and the other dangers that affect almost every household in South Dakota. I think the attorney general plays a very important role in that nationally.
I would say human trafficking is another area Attorney General Bondi was strong on. That along with opioids.
And so those are the points that I will advocate that, I believe, affect us here in South Dakota that the Department of Justice and the presidential administration should focus on.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was originally published on
SouthDakotaSearchlight.com.
A tornado watch has been issued for much of central and eastern South Dakota as forecasters warn conditions are favorable for tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds Wednesday evening.
The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center issued the watch at 4:05 p.m. CDT, and it will remain in effect until 11 p.m. It includes dozens of counties across central and eastern South Dakota, as well as parts of southeastern North Dakota and western Minnesota.
Forecasters expect thunderstorms to develop along and ahead of a cold front moving southeast across the Dakotas. The strongest storms could become supercells capable of producing all severe weather hazards.
The severe weather threat is expected to continue Thursday, when another round of strong to severe thunderstorms could develop across parts of South Dakota. Large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes will again be possible.
What are expected impacts of South Dakota storms?
Storms that remain isolated could produce tornadoes and very large hail before merging into a line of thunderstorms later in the evening, according to the Storm Prediction Center. Once storms organize into a line, damaging winds are expected to become the main threat, although brief tornadoes and hail will remain possible.
The National Weather Service office in Sioux Falls said portions of southeastern South Dakota face a Level 2 out of 5 risk for severe weather Wednesday evening. Atmospheric conditions include high instability, increasing wind shear and abundant moisture, creating an environment supportive of severe thunderstorms.
In addition to severe weather, some areas could receive heavy rainfall. Most locations are expected to receive between a quarter-inch and three-quarters of an inch of rain, although isolated areas could see more than an inch. Widespread flooding is not expected, but localized flooding could occur in areas that recently received heavy rainfall.
Where will storms hit in South Dakota?
Storms are expected to develop in central South Dakota between late afternoon and early evening before moving east through the night. Forecasters expect the strongest storms to reach the Interstate 29 corridor between about 10 p.m. and midnight.
Radar: Severe weather in South Dakota
South Dakota weather watches and warnings
Stay informed. Get weather alerts via text
Brandi D. Addison covers weather across the United States as the Weather Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. She can be reached at baddison@gannett.com.
See Republican Zach Lahn speak after primary win in governor’s race
GOP gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn speaks to his supporters during an election night watch party on June 2, 2026, in West Des Moines.
The makeup of the Legislature was up in the air as of 1 a.m. after South Dakota’s primary election.
Ten Republican state lawmakers ousted in 2024 are angling to get their seats back in 2026. Results were mixed for the nine who had primaries on Tuesday, with results still coming in for several races and others set for possible recounts.
Shawn Bordeaux of Rosebud won the state’s only Democratic primary, beating Troy “Luke” Lunderman for a chance to return to the state Senate.
Bordeaux will face Chamberlain Republican Rebecca Reimer in November’s general election. Reimer, who was term-limited in the state House of Representatives, beat Lower Brule Sen. Tamara Grove in Tuesday’s primary.
In Watertown’s District 5, Rep. Josephine Garcia fell in a state Senate primary to incumbent Sen. Glen Vilhauer. Garcia beat Byron Callies in the 2024 primary to earn her seat in the House of Representatives, but opted to challenge Vilhauer for his Senate seat instead of seeking reelection to the House.
Callies, Vilhauer and Garcia are all from Watertown.
Vilhauer won with 59% of the vote. His was one of the first state legislative victories of the night reported on the Secretary of State’s website.
Vilhauer won handily, but he said he wasn’t necessarily expecting to as polls opened on Tuesday.
“I knew it was going to be a battle going in,” Vilhauer said. “She worked hard on her side, and I didn’t know what to expect.”
Callies was among the first to call Vilhauer to congratulate him, around 9:30 p.m.
“I’m happy, because Glen’s a solid legislator,” said Callies, who’s angling to win his seat back in the general election.
Garcia did not return a call seeking comment.
In District 21, Sen. Mykala Voita of Bonesteel beat former Sen. Erin Tobin of Winner in a rematch of their 2024 contest, which Voita won by a few dozen votes that year. This time around, Voita bested Tobin by 1,002 votes.
In response to a request for comment, Voita sent a text reading “Glory to God!”
Tobin did not return a call from South Dakota Searchlight about her race after it was called, but said earlier in the evening she would be “at peace” with the results regardless of what they might be.
Another rematch saw Yanktonites Lauren Nelson and Jean Hunhoff battling for District 18’s state Senate seat. Nelson was a newcomer in 2024 when she beat Hunhoff, who’d spent decades in the Capitol between stints in the House and Senate. On Tuesday, Nelson held off Hunhoff, winning by 243 votes.
Other notable races
- District 4 Rep. Dylan Jordan of Clear Lake, first elected in 2024, finished fourth in a five-way race. As of 1 a.m. Wednesday, he trailed Ryan Kohl of Milbank and former Rep. Fred Deutsch of Florence, in first and second place, respectively. A recount is possible in that race, with 59 votes separating the top two vote-getters while Rep. Kent Roe, of Hayti, came in third place, with 72 fewer votes than Deutsch.
- District 4 has two possible recounts. In the other, Bryant’s Stephanie Sauder beat Clear Lake’s Tim Begalka by 105 votes in the unofficial tally from the Secretary of State.
- District 1 Rep. Logan Manhart of Aberdeen, elected in the 2024 primary, fell to Rep. Nick Fosness, a hospital administrator appointed by Gov. Larry Rhoden in 2025, and newcomer Daniel Kjos.
- Another recount was possible as of Wednesday at 1 a.m., in the District 16 race for House of Representatives. Rep. John Shubeck of Beresford trailed Lisa Bogue of Beresford by 245 votes in unofficial results. Jason VanDenTop of Canton was in third place, trailing Shubeck by 68 votes.
Vote totals incomplete
- Sen. John Carley of Piedmont, who won his first term in 2024, trailed William Meirose of Sturgis by 166 votes as of 1 a.m. Wednesday.
- Former Rep. Tyler Tordsen led Rep. Tony Kayser by two votes in the District 14 primary, with results still coming in. The Sioux Falls men are vying for second place and a spot on the November general election ballot alongside Rep. Taylor Rehfeldt of Sioux Falls, who led by more than 600 votes early Wednesday.
- District 28 Sen. Sam Marty of Prairie City was in a close race with former legislator Ryan Maher of Isabel.
- Former Rep. Gary Cammack of Union Center, who lost his seat in 2024, and Gary Deering of Hereford, led Reps. Terri Jorgenson of Piedmont and Kathy Rice of Blackhawk in the District 29 race.
- In District 30, Hot Springs Sen. Amber Hulse led former Sen. Julie Frye-Mueller of Rapid City by more than 1,300 votes.
- Former Sen. David Johnson of Rapid City led Sen. Curt Voight of Rapid City in a rematch of their 2024 race for District 33 Senate in early results.
- Rep. Heather Baxter of Rapid City has signaled her intention to challenge sitting Secretary of State Monae Johnson for the Republican nomination to that constitutional office at the state’s Republican Party convention this summer. In early results, Baxter trailed former Rapid City Rep. Becky Drury and Rep. Mike Derby in the District 34 primary.
- Early results in the District 35 primary put Sen. Greg Blanc, elected in 2024, in a close race with fellow Rapid City resident Nicole Mitzel.
South Dakota Searchlight is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
South Dakota
Republican businessman Toby Doeden advances to primary runoff in South Dakota governor’s race
Republican businessman Toby Doeden has advanced to a runoff in South Dakota governor’s race, NBC News projects.
Gov. Larry Rhoden, who replaced Kristi Noem last year when President Donald Trump nominated her to lead the Department of Homeland Security, was battling with Rep. Dusty Johnson and former state House Speaker Jon Hansen for a second spot in the July 28 runoff. The primary will go to a runoff because no candidate eclipsed 35% of the vote.
Trump did not issue an endorsement in the race. Doeden branded himself on his campaign website as “a total political outsider who’s tired of the government’s failure to deliver on its promises” and one of Trump’s “fiercest supporters.”
Rhoden, a former lieutenant governor, agriculture secretary and lawmaker, campaigned on property tax cuts and lowering crime in his bid for a four-year term.
Johnson is the state’s lone representative in the House, where he previously was chair of the Republican Main Street Caucus. Hansen, who was elected to the South Dakota House in 2010, held several leadership positions before he became speaker.
The Republican nominee will be the favorite to win the general election in the solidly red state this fall. A Democrat has not served as governor in South Dakota since the 1970s, and Trump carried the state by 29 points in 2024.
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