South Dakota Democrats challenge 23-year-old’s House candidacy, alleging residency violations in Wisconsin

BATH, S.D. — The candidacy of a 23-year-old working for the South Dakota Home of Representatives has come below query after a challenger’s lawsuit alleges earlier participation in out-of-state elections makes him an ineligible candidate.

An software for a writ of prohibition, filed Could 13 in Hughes County, alleges that Logan Manhart, a District 1 Republican Home candidate from Tub, voted in a minimum of 4 Wisconsin elections between February 2020 and April 2021, deeming him a nonresident of South Dakota and thus ineligible to run in South Dakota’s election.

“To ensure that Manhart to have voted in Wisconsin in April of 2021, he needed to be a resident of Wisconsin for the 28 days previous that election and couldn’t have been a resident of South Dakota on April 6, 2021,” the applying for a writ of prohibition reads. “… As such, Manhart doesn’t meet the eligibility necessities set forth by the South Dakota Structure to carry the workplace of consultant as a result of he ‘has not been a resident of the state for 2 years subsequent previous election’ as required by artwork. III, § 3.”

The lawsuit — filed by Manhart’s District 1 Democratic challenger, Steven McCleerey, and the South Dakota Democratic Social gathering (SDDP) — cites Wisconsin voter registration and voting historical past instruments offered on-line by the State of Wisconsin Elections Fee.

A examine of those assets on Could 18 discovered Manhart is not a registered voter in Wisconsin.

Noting there is no such thing as a speedy treatment obtainable to obtain a judgment on the validity of Manhart’s candidacy forward of a June 7 major, the lawsuit requests the court docket execute a peremptory writ of prohibition that may forestall South Dakota Secretary of State Steve Barnett from certifying Manhart’s eligibility for the final election this November.

With

solely two candidates gunning for the District 1 Republican nomination

in June’s major, each Manhart and incumbent Rep. Tamara St. John, R-Sisseton, would mechanically advance to the final election. A writ of prohibition from a Hughes County choose would push pause on Manhart’s advance till the court docket can hear proof concerning the alleged residency violations in full.

In an announcement, SDDP Chair Randy Seiler referred to as Manhart’s allegedly fraudulent conduct a “disservice” to the constituents he’s working to characterize.

“Logan Manhart is in clear violation of the South Dakota Structure and is ineligible to run for the South Dakota Home of Representatives. Manhart fraudulently signed his certification of candidacy which swore below oath that he was eligible to hunt this workplace,” Seiler stated. “His fraudulent conduct is a disservice to the voters of District 1. The legislation is obvious {that a} candidate should have resided in South Dakota for 2 years previous to the final election.”

Whereas Manhart didn’t reply to a number of makes an attempt to contact him, his marketing campaign web site, social media exercise and newspaper clippings provide some credibility to Democrats’ allegations.

After graduating from Aberdeen Central Excessive Faculty in 2017, Manhart moved to Wisconsin to proceed his schooling, in line with

a biography on his marketing campaign web site.

Whereas there, he “discovered his energy and fervour for politics” whereas engaged on a reelection marketing campaign for then-President Donald Trump.

“In 2021, Logan graduated with a certificates diploma in Management Growth and Administration, with the aim to return house and additional the conservative trigger in his favourite state,” his biography reads.

On Sept. 28, 2021,

Manhart was photographed by the Eau Claire Chief-Telegram’s Dan Reiland

flying an American flag throughout a voter registration occasion on the College of Wisconsin – Eau Claire.

In a single tweet from Manhart’s private account on Oct. 23, 2021, he posted a selfie of him doorknocking in northwestern Wisconsin, whereas one other tweet on Oct. 30, 2021 footage him alongside U.S Congress Republican candidate Derrick Van Orden at an occasion in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Of the 4 candidates at present licensed to run for District 1 Home within the major, two are working as Republicans and two as Democrats. Ought to Manhart fail to earn certification to be positioned on the November basic election poll, a minimum of one Democrat might be assured a seat.