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PIERRE, S.D. (South Dakota Searchlight) – After 14 incumbent South Dakota lawmakers lost their seats in the 2024 Republican primary, 16 lost on Tuesday, according to unofficial results from the Secretary of State’s Office. The 2024 shakeup was described as “an earthquake” by Spearfish Rep. Scott Odenbach, a Republican incumbent who won his own primary that year and was elevated to majority leader of the House of Representatives with support from the newcomers. In the 2026 primary, those former newcomers made up the majority of the ousted incumbents. snip Several of the lawmakers who lost their seats in the 2024...

PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — The South Dakota Legislature’s ranks will look different in 2027. At least 13 Republican incumbents lost primary elections on Tuesday night, and several others were locked in tight battles as vote counting proceeded into early Wednesday morning. At least six of the contests would qualify for recounts if requested by candidates. As of 2:45 a.m., final results hadn’t been posted on the Secretary of State website for districts 2, 9, 10, 11 and 14, each of which includes parts of Minnehaha County.

The battle for control of Congress is on. Republicans hope to maintain and expand their narrow majorities in the fall for the second half of President Donald Trump’s term, while Democrats will aim to win over voters frustrated with Trump on the economy and other issues. States results at link..................

If you live in these states, GO VOTE!

Federal income tax experts tell POLITICO money from the DOJ's Judgment Fund, which the new $1.8 billion program is drawing on, is generally taxable.President Donald Trump isn’t supposed to directly profit from the dismissal of his lawsuit against the IRS.And yet, he could still owe taxes on the money going to set up a central feature of that deal — the $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund.”Some tax practitioners say the way that the fund, which Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced May 18, is structured likely makes it an income tax liability for the president, potentially costing hundreds of millions of...

John Thune’s daughter, Brittany Thune-Lindberg, worked for the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers PAC, which donated to multiple anti-Trump radical Democrats from February 2013 to June 2021. Elected Democrats who received donations from the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers PAC during Brittany Thune-Lindberg’s tenure include Nancy Pelosi, Mikie Sherrill, Hakeem Jeffries, Jamie Raskin, Jon Tester, Katherine Clark, and Sherrod Brown.

Thune spoke directly with Paxton following Tuesday's runoff victory, marking the first reported contact between the two men since the bitter primary contest ended. A person familiar with the conversation described the call as PRODUCTIVE. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, told reporters she was "supremely disappointed" by Trump's endorsement of Paxton over Cornyn.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has the right instinct on the Department of Justice's new $1.776 billion Anti-Weaponization Fund.The idea behind the fund deserves a fair hearing; Americans who were targeted by abusive federal power should have some path toward relief, especially after years of lectures from the same political class pretending government weaponization only exists when Democrats campaign on it.Still, a good idea turns rotten fast once Washington gets control of the checkbook.President Donald Trump's administration created the fund as part of a settlement connected to Trump's lawsuit over the leak of his tax records. The agreement gives Trump and...

The D.C. establishment is showing its true colors in their latest swampy move. Senate Republicans are considering adding eligibility restrictions to the new “Anti-Weaponization Fund” as part of the ongoing reconciliation bill process. As part of the settlement agreement in “President Donald J. Trump v. Internal Revenue Service,” the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the formation of “The Anti-Weaponization Fund,” funding it with approximately $1.776 billion from the federal Judgment Fund. This agreement was formed in place of Trump or his family receiving any of the $10 billion in restitution they sought through the original lawsuit. FLASH: DOJ expands...

James Grant @JamesGrantJ6Regarding January 6th from a J6er:You kept us all - from all across the country - in ultra liberal DC… Because you knew we’d get crucified there.. The DC guards spit in our food and didn’t let us outside for recreation, as we watched every other unit go outside. They cooked us in 95° heat when every other floor was comfortable temperature. They left us in jails where sewage flooded the unit and it was so bad, the Marshalls canceled their contracts with themAt the start of it all: 2 feds on either side of me who pushed...

After Trump's Thursday announcement praising her border security work, including what Noem called the 'most secure border in American history' and $13 billion in taxpayer savings, online conservatives urged her to primary Thune in South Dakota's 2028 race. Critics label Thune disloyal with a 51% Liberty Score and past bipartisan moves, while figures like radio host Jeff Kuhner predict Noem would crush him thanks to her MAGA ties and home-state popularity. Noem has stayed silent on any Senate bid, and with Thune's $20 million war chest and strong approvals, the talk remains early speculation amid GOP tensions. This story is...

We haven't heard much about former Democrat Rep. Eric Swalwell (CA-14) over the last couple of weeks, presumably because the investigations are continuing into the disturbing allegations of sexual assault that were made against him earlier this month, claims which resulted in his exit from the California gubernatorial race and his resignation from Congress. Someone else who we haven't heard much from beyond canned social media posts is Swalwell's (now-former?) bestie, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), whose well-documented bromance was the stuff of legends in Capitol Hill Democrat political circles. At one point, they were roommates in D.C. and going on...

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., on Wednesday to investigate unspecified allegations against an unnamed senator. “It seems like the Senate has its own trash to take out. @LeaderJohnThune, you need to look into the allegations against one of your senators; it’s very disturbing,” Luna wrote on X. “My chief [of staff] will be contacting your chief [or staff].” The Florida Republican did not specify the nature of the allegations or which senator she was referencing. Luna has consistently called for the expulsion of lawmakers from Congress who have engaged in sexual misconduct. “I’m...

While the SAVE America Act continues to languish in the Senate under the supervision of Republican Leader John Thune, leaders and voters in several states have taken it upon themselves to secure their own elections from noncitizen voting. ...***FloridaGov. Ron DeSantis signed Florida’s own version of the SAVE Act into law last week. The law, which requires citizenship verification against REAL ID data when registering to vote, will go into effect in January of next year.***MississippiMississippi Gov. Tate Reeves also signed election integrity legislation into law last week. Named the Safeguard Honesty Integrity in Elections for Lasting Democracy (SHIELD) Act,...

The Pentagon has asked for $200 billion in funding for the war in Iran... The request has been sent to the White House, the military official said, which will review it before any request for funds is formally submitted to Congress. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the proposal. The request was reported earlier by The Washington Post. “Obviously, it takes money to kill bad guys,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said when asked about the request during a news conference on Thursday, adding: “As far as the $200 billion, I think that number could move.” On Capitol...

President Trump’s allies are planning to take over the Senate floor this week in a bid to pass the SAVE America Act, setting up a major test for Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) who is under pressure from Trump and the MAGA base to extend the debate over voting reform for as long as possible. GOP senators are playing their cards close to the vest ahead of this week’s marathon debate over the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, which would require people registering to vote to show documented proof of citizenship. But they’re bracing for long hours...

The husband of former Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin is under investigation over a campaign ad that heavily featured Secretary Kristi Noem. Days before President Donald Trump’s decision to relieve her of her duties, Noem testified before Congress to discuss her department’s funding. During this hearing, multiple members of Congress grilled Noem on the $220 million that went to subcontractors to fund an ad campaign. The ads, starring Noem, largely focused on the department’s deportation efforts. Her alleged ties to the recipients of the contracts led to questions about potential conflicts of interest. In a letter published Tuesday, Senators Peter...

Washington — Senate Majority Leader John Thune made clear Tuesday that an elections bill known as the SAVE America Act faces an unlikely path to passage, reiterating his skepticism about the bill's chances as President Trump threatens a legislative blockade until Congress approves the measure."There are no easy ways to do this," Thune told reporters Tuesday. "Believe me, we've examined all the options."The legislation, which the House passed last month, would require proof of citizenship to register to vote, along with photo ID to cast a ballot. But Mr. Trump has demanded that the legislation go farther and ban all...

Conservative icon and Hollywood legend James Woods has announced he’s ditching the Republican Party. Woods, a fierce patriot and vocal supporter of President Trump, blasted the “uniparty traitors” in a fiery post on X, declaring, “I am done with the Republican Party.” Woods’ decision comes amid growing frustration with Senate Republican leadership, particularly cowardly Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), who has continuously stalled the crucial SAVE Act, a bill designed to safeguard American elections by requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration. Without this measure, Woods warns, the floodgates will remain open for election fraud, illegal aliens pouring in,...

A fire station in Rapid City, South Dakota, has opened the state’s first Safe Haven Baby Box. Communities in South Dakota have discussed bringing baby boxes to the state for years — a push that increased after the body of baby Gabriel was found at a Sioux Falls recycling center in 2024, KELO reported. “That same week after baby Gabriel was found there was another phone call that came into Safe Haven looking for a box in South Dakota. So, there was a second baby where the mother was looking to surrender the baby and there was no box for...