Schoenbeck’s List: Pro-Tem Funds 15 Candidates in Senate, 22 in House

Senate President Pro-Tem Lee Schoenbeck has given over $39,000*** to 37 Legislative candidates whom he hopes will help solidify his pragmatic-conservative control of South Dakota’s lawmaking process.

Among the 15 Senate candidates Schoenbeck is backing are two challengers running to unseat incumbent Republican Senators: newcomer Rachel Dix in District 3, currently represented by Aberdeen Senator Al Novstrup, and former four-term legislator Nancy Rasmussen in District 16, currently represented by Canton Senator Jim Bolin. Both of those incumbents are long-timers—Novstrup has served for 20 years, Bolin for 14—and both have been relatively pliable servants of the GOP leadership.

Schoenbeck is also backing District 30 Representative Tim Goodwin in his effort to unseat Senator Julie Frye-Mueller. In District 25, Schoenbeck is putting his money behind Lisa Rave, wife of former Republican legislator Tim Rave, in hopes of keeping radical right-winger and angry dad Rep. Tom Pischke from moving into the Senate.

Among Schoenbeck’s 22 cash-favored House candidates are several who need to push incumbent Representatives aside to make a House more submissive to the Senate’s will. In Aberdeen’s District 3, Schoenbeck is backing his pal Richard Rylance to knock off one of District 3’s incumbents, either newly redistricted Kaleb Weis or Carl Perry. Schoenbeck has not yet put money into hard Trumpist culture-warrior and fellow good Catholic District 3 House contender Brandi Schaefbauer.

In the northeastern District 4 that surrounds Schoenbeck’s Watertown District 5, Schoenbeck is funding former Speaker of the House Val Rausch and newcomer Stephanie Sauder over incumbent Representative Fred Deutsch. In District 9, Schoenbeck is backing two challengers, Jesse Fonkert and Ken Teunissen, over incumbent Representative Bethany Soye. Schoenbeck actually gave Soye $500 last year, but she must have done something to torque him off, as this year he has given $1,000 to each of her challengers.

In Rapid City’s District 35, Schoenbeck is backing two challengers, Larry Larson and Liz Regalado, against two incumbents, Reps. Tony Randolph and Tina Mulally. Up the road in Lawrence County, Schoenbeck is funding one challenger, nice mainstream Chamber-type Mistie Caldwell over more clearly right-wing incumbent Reps. Mary Fitzgerald and Scott Odenbach. And out in the northwestern hinterlands, Schoenbeck is backing Neal Pinnow in the contest for the single seat in District 28B over former legislator Tom Brunner, who fought Schoenbeck’s and Governor Dennis Daugaard’s 2016 effort to raise sales tax to raise teacher pay.

Schoenbeck does find some incumbents useful. Schoenbeck has so far given money to four Senate incumbents, four incumbent House members switching to Senate, and five House incumbents.

In Sioux Falls District 13, Schoenbeck sent Representative Richard Thomason $1,000 from Schoenbeck’s South Dakota Strong PAC. He sent no money to fellow mainstream Republican Tony Venhuizen, who’s raising more than enough money from the wealthy elites of Sioux Falls and the SDGOP to guarantee he gets one of the District 13 House seats. And Schoenbeck definitely didn’t send any money to right-wing District 13 incumbent Rep. Sue Peterson, whom Schoenbeck, half of his party, and most of my party would like to see Venhuizen replace.

According to the pre-primary report, Schoenbeck has spent $33,415.75 on his own campaign this year. Even that amount was likely overkill: his hapless primary opponent, Watertown city council member Colin Paulsen, has raised $6,600 and spent only $2,021.89. (Colin, you are running against Lee Schoenbeck. Why do you have any money just sitting around? Get it in gear and advertise!) Convention of States spent a few thousand on postcards against Schoenbeck, but even counting their out-of-state cash, Schoenbeck has so far outspent his opposition by more than four to one. Schoenbeck thus can afford to spend more helping other candidates join him in Pierre than he has to keep his own seat.