Unaffiliated voters will have outsized impact on South Dakota elections

In a Facebook post, West River legislator Elizabeth May told readers South Dakota conservatives are raising funds and nearing a split with the South Dakota Republican Party in efforts to clean up Pierre's culture of corruption.

Now, unaffiliated and third party voters in Brookings, Lincoln, Union, Butte, Lawrence, Pennington, Meade, Custer, Fall River, Oglala Lakota and Todd counties could have devastating impacts on Republican candidates according to veteran politics reporter Bob Mercer.

The Dakota Progressive has been seeking out and recruiting principled South Dakota conservatives to run for statewide office as third party and unaffiliated (independent) candidates. With the petitions filed for an unaffiliated candidate, a Libertarian and the Constitution Party expected to field a contender South Dakota's lone US House seat is no longer safe Republican. Custer area Democrats have a real opportunity to win a District 30 senate seat as earth haters split their votes with Libertarian Gideon Oakes in the race.

Delegates at party state conventions will pick candidates for most of the statewide races.

Lieutenant Governor - 4 year term
Public Utilities Commissioner - 6 year term
Attorney General - 4 year term
Secretary of State - 4 year term
State Auditor - 4 year term
State Treasurer - 4 year term
Commissioner of School and Public Lands - 4 year term

Principled conservatives are already fighting back against the South Dakota Republican Party insiders in Rapid City. Pierre is broken and the only way to fix it is to have Republicans lose several races to Democrats. Fact is: the best way to a strong two party system in South Dakota is for arch-conservatives to launch an alt-right party. South Dakota's most ardent citizens for liberty are recruiting conservatives to run not just in statewide elections but for the legislature, too.

May, Tonchi Weaver, Steve Livermont, Dan Kaiser, Neal Tapio, Shad Olson, Florence Thompson, Stace Nelson, Gordon Howie, Lora Hubbel and Scott Jones could be among candidates fleeing the SDGOP for the Libertarian and Constitution Parties.

Read Bob Mercer's piece here.