October 25th, 2026 Len’s Political Note #851 Win Where the Independents Roam
General Election 2026
I don’t understand it. I don’t think it will last. There are parts of the United States that, not that long ago, were led by Democrats, whose people now look with distaste on the Democrats.
Consider when the last Democratic Governor and Senator from each of these states left office.
Idaho: Governor Cecil Andrus left office in January 1995.
US Senator Frank Church left office in January 1981
Montana: Governor Steve Bullock left office in January 2021
US Senator Jon Tester left office in January 2025
Nebraska Governor Ben Nelson left office in January 1999
US Senator Ben Nelson left office in January 2013
South Dakota Governor Harvey Wollman left office in January 1979
US Senator Tim Johnson left office in January, 2015
IDAHO
Each of these states has a strong Independent candidate for the US Senate this year; each of them is running as the principal opponent of the Republican candidate.
Todd Achilles is the independent running for the Senate in Idaho. The Democratic nominee has withdrawn from the election in his favor.
Todd Achilles is retired from the military where he was a tank commander He has a BA from Claremont McKenna and three Masters: an MBA and a Master’s in International Studies from the University of Washington and a Master’s in Public Affairs from Berkeley. He teaches at the College of Idaho and is an adjunct at Boise State. He is a sometime entrepreneur.
Todd Achilles argues that the two-party system is broken. The system blocked two major problems from being solved – the national debt and foreign policy. He also notes that the national debt has increased from $10 Billion to $40 Billion during incumbent Jim Risch’s tenure, an increase Todd Achilles explains threatens the country’s long-term security.
Todd Achilles acknowledges the need to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse. More important though, hje says we lose revenue because not everyone lives according to the same rules. The American elite and corporations rely on loopholes that ought to be closed. Todd Achilles calls that corporate socialism and promises to work against it.
It is not just taxes that concerns Todd Achilles. He has disdain for predatory non-compete clauses and excessive stock buybacks so ordinary individuals have an opportunity to innovate and advance. He promises to fight to break our country’s cycle of endless wars, wars that are inconsistent with our interests. He adds that the failure to properly care for veterans of those wars erodes our citizens’ willingness to fight for their country.
Todd Achilles is running against eighty three year old incumbent Jim Risch, who has been involved in Idaho politics at least since 1974. A successful attorney he became wealthy practicing law, buying and selling real estate, espcially agricultural land. He was prosperous enough to self-fund a race for Lt. Governor. Temporarily serving as governor he led a popular effort to substitute a sales tax for real estate taxes.
As a US Senator, he occasionally made news for the wrong reasons. Jim Risch fell asleep during Trump’s second impeachment trial. He held up a budget bill in an attempt to oppose naming a Wilderness Area in memory of a political opponent, the recently deceased former Idaho Democratic Governor of Idaho, Cecil Andrus.
Todd Achilles has a chance to win. A mid-September poll of Registered Voters had him leading 46-39 with a third party Libertarian candidate getting 5% of the preferences. Risch responded by funding a poll which claimed he led 49-24. Risch is winning the money race. On September 30, he had $2.8 million to finish out the race. Todd Achilles had less than $400,000. So Go Ahead: DONATE to Todd Achilles. See Len’s Political Note #842
OTHER IDAHO RACES
Consider where you want to focus. Changing the US Senate is a big deal. Todd Ahcilles could be part of that change. If you want to focus a little more on Idaho, take particular note of the Controller and Treasurer races, though the Democratic candidates for all of the state races are interesting.
Governor: Democratic Attorney Terri Pickens founded her own law practice after working as a public defender. She supports the Women’s and Children’s Alliance. Her first issue is sustaining Idaho’s economic growth by focusing on small businesses. Incumbent Republican Governor Brad Little is a businessman and a ranche. The ranch a nationally known sheep farm created by his Scottish immigrant grandfather. Little is proud of his achievements reducing — taxes and eliminating red tape — which he considers responsible for Idaho’s growth.
There is an independent in this race, too. John Stegner is a former member of the Idaho Supreme Court. And there is a poll from September. Among Registered Voters, The incumbent led with 37%, Democrat Terri Pickens was at 27%. And John Stegner was third with 13%. It’s late, but DONATE to Terri Pickens. She would be a change from someone who began his politics as a child urging support for Barry Goldwater.
Lt. Governor: Democratic Businessman and Non-Profit Founder Eric Myricks is known professionally as the entertainer Elijah Rock and is the CEO of MYSHOWBIZ which helps and trains artists to manage the business part of their work. A Black man, he is happy in Idaho where he has supported his father with Alzheimer’s and founded the Eijah Rock Foundation to advance research in Alzheimer’s. He argues that cutting taxes is not enough; what Idaho needs is to use its resources on behalf of the people who live and work In the state – “roads are crumbling, schools are underfunded, andour seniors can’t afford care.”
Republican incumbent Scott Bedke is running for reelection. He is part of his farmily’s ranch, has been a city councilor and state rep, and describes himself as a pro-life, pro-gun, limited government constitutional conservative whose views have contributed to Idaho’s prosperity. It’s late, but DONATE to Eric Myurick’s campaign. He would be a breath of fresh air.
State Controller: Democratic College Professor Rakesh Mohan worked for 21 years leading Idaho’s Office of Performance Evaluation. Before he led the agency, he worked in it for 2 years and before that audited programs for legislatures around the country. He argues that, after 14 years, it is time for a change in the Controller’s office. He points to implementation challenges and millions in cost overruns in a recent IT project. The report on that project said the procurement and implementation processes were flawed and described launch challenges, inefficiencies, and disruptions caused by inadequate planning and customization. Rakesh Mohan would fix these problems. The Republican incumbent Brandon Woolf is proud to have improved transparency, increased efficiency, and reduced costs. DONATE to support Rakesh Mohan. He would improve Idaho’s systems.
State Treasurer: Democratic Financial Analyst Kevin Jones spent his career leading Harmonic Investment Advisors where his principal responsibility was institutional investments. He comments that “the performance of our investment porfolios has been, in my personal opinion, almost the worst I’ve seen in 38 years of managing institutional porfolios.” He adds that the State Treasurer’s responsibilities have nothing to do with partisan politics and he would drop his Democratic affiliation immediately after the election. The incumbent Brandon Woolf responds by explaining that Idaho’s statutes set limits in the nature of investments that are permitted and, moreover, “We are not out to make money.….My first goal is safety.” If he gets a hearing from the public, Kevin Jones will persuade them. DONATE to his campaign.
.CONGRESS
ID 01. Democratic Jeweler Kaylee Peterson was a stay at home mom in what had been a family homestead before Covid. She worked part-time, created jewelry at home, and helped make ends meet. She went to school during Covid, honed her interest in public policy, served as Chief of Staff and as President of the College of Western Idaho’s eight times national debate team. Over three election cycles, she has supported Democratic Congressional candidates and built a web of friends and supporters. Now she is running herself. The Republican incumbent, Russ Fulcher, is a former state rep and state senator. Elected to congress in 2018 with 57%^ of the vote, he is a member of the Freedom Caucus and a 2020 election denier. Slow him down. DONATE to Kaylee Peterson.
ID 02. Democrat Ellie Gilbreath is a graduate of Georgetown Law School, but she is not a lawyer. Nor is she a politician. She is a coach and a marital counselor. She helps people fix things. She doesn’t name President Trump as her opponent, she sees the problem as pervasive. Her first priority is to restore “constitutional balance,” to restore “
Accountability through “checks and balances, better transparency, the end of congressional stock trading and the application of laws equally.” The Republican incumbent is Mike Simpson. He is different from his opponent. He fixes teeth. He joined his father’s and uncle’s dental practice, and then became a politician. His goal is not so high minded as his challenger. He says he wants to ensure that resources come to Idaho, not to New York or California. DONATE to Ellie Gilbreath.
STATE LEGISLATURE
Idaho’s State Senate has 35 seats: 29 Republicans, 6 Democrats. Democrats would have to flip 6 seats to eliminate the Republican Supermajority.
Idaho’s House of Representatives has 70 seats: 61 Republicans, 9 Democrats. Democrats would have to flip 15 seats to eliminate the Republican Supermajority.
I have no suggestions, though I can report that in primaries, several traditional Republicans defeated incumbent extremists. Count that as a. positive.
MONTANA
US SENATE
Of the four independent races, it is possible that the Montana candidate for the US Senate is the strongest. Or would have been if the Democratic nominee had withdrawn as was the case in the three other states. Still, the situation is not impossible for Seth Bodnar.
A poll in September is indicative of how things looked through most of the campaign. Republican Kurt Alme – 45, Independent Seth Bodnar – 26, Democrat Alani Bankhead – 19.
In October, one poll diverged, another poll did not. The Democratic funded poll had Independent Seth Bodnar leading with 37%, Republican Kurt Alme at 35%, and Democrat Alani Bankhead at 13%.
The other October poll, funded by the Republican candidate had Kurt Alme leading with 44%, Seth Bodnar in his customary second place at 29%, and Democrat Alani Bankhead at 13%.
Seth Bodnar has a story to tell. He grew up in western Pennsylvania and went to West Point where he graduated first in his class and won a Rhodes Scholarship. At Oxford, he fell in love and eventually married another Rhodes Scholar – a Montana woman who graduated from the University of Montana.
Seth Bodnar had a military career. He commanded a detachment of Special Forces in Iraq and was assigned to advise the Commanding General in Iraq. He returned to West Point to teach. As a civilian, he became an executive at General Electric. Then the perfect opportunity arose. He became the President of the University of Montana. He settled a discrimination lawsuit then focused on improving the University.
His good friend (to the extent politics allows for good friends), former Democratic Senator Jon Tester, persuaded him to run for the US Senate from Montana as an Independent.
The Republicans did Seth Bodnar a favor. The incumbent Senator waited until the very last moment and pulled a switcheroo. He withdrew his name; his good friend former US Attorney Kurt Alme entered the race at a pace only possible by someone aware. Seth Bodnar could point to that deft change of Republican nominee as characteristic of Washington politics. But he could not (or at least could not until mid-October if his poll is accurate) shake the impact of the Democrat remaining in the race. Seth Bodnar has kept pace financially. Based on the September 30 reports, he actually raised more than Alme did: $4.7 million to $2.9 million. And the two candidates had almost the same amount for the final stretch: Seth Bodnar’s $750,000 to Kurt Alme’s $850,000.
DONATE to Seth Bodnar. It could mean one fewer Republican US Senator. See Len’s Pollitical Note #797
OTHER MONTANA RACES
There are no state constitutional offices including a Governor races until 2028.
CONGRESS
Mt 01. Smokejumper Sam Forstag is running for an open seat. The Republican incumbent retired. His apparent corruption was too much for Donald Trump was fired as Secretary of Interior during Trump’s first term of office.
Sam Forstag grew up in Portland, Oregon and graduated from Jesuit High School there. He volunteered for an organization that provided food and clothing to the needy even though his family was not that far from being needy themselves. After high school, he went to the University of Montana where he majored in political science and philosophy. He would argue that you can be blue collar and study philosophy at the same time. In college, he lived the political science part. He served as a student senator and, his senior year, was elected president of the Associated Students of the University of Montana.
After he graduated in 2017, Sam Forstag went to work as a lobbyist and an organizer – for the Montana Associated Students. He was proud to have helped achieve a 2 year tuition freeze and a substantial commitment to college and university infrastructure. He also worked as a sawyer for the US Forest Service. By 2022, he had been promoted from squad leader to smokejumper. By 2021, in his political life, he had become a partner of Central House Strategies working on issues like homelessness and food pantries. By 2025, Sam Forstag was Vice President of his union local.
In January, 2026, Sam Forstag announced his run for Congress. He said “It’s become too damn hard for most Montanans to afford basic things like housing, healthcare, childcare, and even groceries…” His opponent, Aaron Flint, is a former University of Montana Student Body President. He is a combat veteran who, in a way, went into the family business.
Aaron Flint had a radio talk show which he hosted for the morning drive. Aaron Flint used the talk show to tout what he believed in and is now bringing those beliefs to his candidacy for Congress. He says: “that boys are boys and girls are girls, that the world is safe when America is strong, that we need to put America and Americans first, and that we need to protect and promote our Montana history, heritage, and way of life before it’s stripped away. ….Washington has been overtaken by radical politicians whose policies threaten Montana’s way of life. AOC, Mamdani, and Bernie want to flip the House and turn the US socialist. Eliminate private property, ban pickups and fossil fuels, put men in little girls’ locker rooms, and re-open the borders for illegal aliens and deadly drugs
Aaron Flint says the only thing stopping them is Montana voters. Sam Forstag could stop Aaron Flint. There were four polls in October. Flint led in two: 42-41 and 46-45. Sam Forstag led in the other two, including the most recent: 45-43 and 47-44. Both of these latter two were funded by Democrats. DONATE to Sam Forstag’s campaign. See Len’s Political Note #820
Montana’s 2nd Congressional District is not competitive. It will reelect a Republican incumbent.
As with the constitutional Executive offices, there are no state legislative races in Montana in 2026. There is a Judicial race, though.
MONTANA SUPREME COURT
Montana Supreme Court Associate Justice. Judge Amy Eddy is running in Montana’s non-partisan system for electing Supreme Court Justices. her website says: “For Judge Eddy, the Supreme Court is not a legislature and not a campaign battleground—it is a court of law. It must remain a place where outcomes are determined by the facts and the law, and where every Montanan—regardless of background, income, or political belief—can expect to be treated fairly and equally”
She certainly understands that her rulings have political implications. Here is one: She ruled, that the State of Montana had no obligation to underwrite Lake County’s cost of law enforcement on the Flathead Indian Reservation. Notwithstanding the County’s loss of revenue from the formerly named Kerr Dam, the Governor’s veto of the legislative appropriation of $2.5 million stood. She cited statutory language requiring support “to the extent” the legislature sees fit. She noted …. that, notwithstanding concerns about public safety, Lake County’s option for escaping the annual cost of law enforcement is to withdraw from the agreement.
Her opponent, District Court Judge Dan Wilson, who ran, but was not elected to the Supreme Court in 2024, says in his website: “As a native Montanan and a conservative, I firmly believe Supreme Court Justices must apply the law and the constitution as written to all their rulings. As your next Montana Supreme Court Justice, I pledge to follow that guiding conservative principle. I will not be beholden to any special interest group’s agenda, and recognize that the court’s role is to interpret the law as written – not create it,”
In fulfilment of that commitment, here is one of Dan Wilson’s decisions: In 2020, … he struck down then Democratic Governor’s mask mandate that was intended to help contain the Covid pandemic arguing that the harm from not having the mask mandate must be “balanced with the damage caused to businesses and employees.”
DONATE to Amy Eddings campaign for the Montana Supreme Court. See Len’s Political Note #749.
NEBRASKA
US SENATE
Dan Osborn is the trailblazer among the current spate of independent US Senate candidates. A union local leader, fresh from a strike against Kellogg’s during which he insisted Americans would not want food preparation shipped overseas, he ran for the US Senate and lost to the incumbent Senator Deb Fischer by what was then a shockingly close 6 ½ points.
In 2026, Dan Osborn is running against former Governor and incumbent US Senator Pete Ricketts. On paper, this should be a tougher race. Pete Rickets’ dad founded Ameritrade. Pete created a think tank called The Platte Institute – a think tank that some call “conservative,” that he calls “free market,” He also led the family effort to buy and run the Chicago Cubs. (That part of his story reminds me of the former owner of one of the Boston professional teams who the Boston Globe used to call Thanks Dad.).
Nevertheless, Pete Ricketts is a multimillionaire. Dan Osborn went to Roncalli Catholic High School in Omaha. After graduation, he joined the Navy, which his father had done. In 2004, home after four years on the USS Constellation where his work included tasks such as fixing fire safety equipment, he joined the National Guard and went to work for Kellogg. At the factory, depending on your terminology, he was an industrial mechanic or a steamfitter.
Dan Osborn is a blue collar guy who is being given a second chance to get himself elected to the US Senate. DONATE to his campaign. See Len’s Political Note #765
OTHER NEBRASKA RACES
Governor: A Realtor, a former teacher, and a State Senator, Democrat Lynne Walz’s husband is a distant relative of Tim Walz, the Governor of Minnesota and former Vice-Presidential candidate. Considering that the last Democrat to be elected Governor of Nebraska was Ben Nelson – elected in 1990 and in 1994, Lynne Walz remains remarkably close to her opponent in the polls. Polls in September and October have her EVEN at 40%, trailing 43-38 (a Republican pollster), trailing 44-43, 44-40, and 44-43. There are two third party candidates. In the last two of the polls, the pro-marijuana candidate received 3% and 5%; the America First party candidate received 5% and 7%of the preferences. Those numbers will decline in the general election, maybe enough to make Lynne Walz a winner. She promotes a bipartisan approach to solving Nebraska’s affordability issues, but insists that these cannot be solved without fixing Nebraska’s state budget deficit. She proposes bringing in experts to help and critizizes Governor Pillen for appointing cronies to economic boards. Governor Jim Peillen speaks about his constituents as if they are customers to be satisfied, but it is possible that he is not really satisfying them. He insists that the state will not reverse the tax cuts he urged when upon being elected governor. Instead, he says “We have to have the courage to stop spending and continue to shrink government.” It is late, but not too late. DONATE to Lynn Walz’ campaign. She would make an enormous difference for Nebraska.
Attorney General: Democratic Attorney Jocelyn Brasher was an assistant in the Attorney General’s office for five years. She says she observed the Office become more partisan after Mike Helger’s election in 2022. In response to questions about her partisanship, she explains that, though she is running as a Democrat, she wants to restore the office to the independence it is meant to have. The Incumbent Mike Hilger, in response to the question about partisanship, said that he has a long track record, both as Attorney General and as Speaker in the Nebraska legislature of “working with people who hold a variety of ideological views.” DONATE to Jocelyn Brasher. She brings a different and better perspective to this office.
Secretary of State: Businesswoman and Chef Sarah Slattery is running agsinst MAGA Activist Scott Peterson who defeated the two-term8i Republican Secretary of State in the primary. Here is what he has to say: “ I consistently hear concerns about trust in elections, transparency and outside influence on our system. Many voters, especially in rural areas, are concerned about mail-in ballot practices, ballot harvesting and whether their voices are being diluted.” He did not assure these people. Instead, he ran in the Republican primary because he shared in, perhaps even fostered those “concerns.” He has a history of doubting election results – especially the 2020 Presidential election. He urged Nebraska to join the law suit questioning the ballot results. He has claimed there were vanishing votes in Georgia. Next to a silhouette of the Statue of Liberty, he shows a sealed envelope asking FRAUD?. Sarah Slattery is no radical; not even a radical Democrat. She says “I am running for Secretary of State because I believe wholeheartedly in the “Great American Experiment.” She adds after explaining how non-partisan the Secretary of State must be: “I love voting, and I believe that every eligible voter should be able to vote in an informed and accessible way. Nebraska’s elections have always been secure. Now is the time to ensure that everyone who is able to vote has the information and education to do so.” Nebraska deserves a Secretary of State with those beliefs. DONATE to Sarah Slattery’s campaign.
I am going to skip the State Treasurer race. Let me summarize. Lynne Walz would be a fine Governor. She is just more practical and thoughtful than the tax cutting incumbent. Sarah Slattery is an earnest candidate for Secretary of State. She would do the job with integrity. Nebraskans cannot be confident that their Republican MAGA Activist nominee truly believes in fair elections. And Democratic Attorney Generalcandidate Jocelyn Brasher seems to have a better understanding of the independent character of the position and office than does the incumbent.
CONGRESS
Nebraska Congressional District 1. Financial Analyst Chris Backemeyer, a fomer US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State entered September with strong polls. The New York Times reported a Democratically sponsored poll which had Chris Backemeyer leading 49-45. Despite that single poll and numerous shifts of House races toward the Democrats, the Cook Political Report believes this district remains Likely Republican. The Incumbent Mike Flood would be reelected. It is true that the incumbent had $1.2 million on September 30 for his stretch run while Chris Backemeyer had $550,000. Chris Backemeyer grew up in Lincoln not far, he explains, from where his great, great grandparents homesteaded. He touts his experience at the highest level of American diplomacy and identifies his first priority as making health care affordable and accessible. Now, he says, the United States spends twice as much per person than other developed countries on health care and yet Nebraskans can’t see a doctor of afford a prescription. He would go beyond Obamacare. He would work for the following: 1. Add a public option to Affordable Care Act. It would be the beginning of a guarantee of universal coverage. 2. Extend the ACA Premium tax cuts 3. Restore Medicaid funding 4. Lower the Medicare eligible age to 60. 5. Take on Big Pharma to reduce prescription drug costs. And 6. Protect a woman’s right to choose. The incumbent Mike Flood, after a start in radio, has been a career politician, getting elected to Congress in 2022. In Congress, he Chairs the Main Street Caucus. He does not list issues or priorities on his website, but he does describe what he is proud of having done. The very first is cutting taxes. DONATE to Chris Backemeyer. He could be Nebraska’s second current Democratic Member of Congress.
Nebraska Congressional District 2. Political consultant Denise Powell . Denise Powell is a graduate of Westminster Christian School in Palmetto, Florida and the University of Miami where she was a member of the Alpha Kappa Psi sorority and the Federation of Cuban Students. Her dad was an executive a Univision, and later at Telemundo
Denise Powell left Miami to work in communications during the pandemic and the post-pandemic with a focus on Latin America. She led multicultural marketing for her next firm, became the manager of Pepsi-Cola’s employee communications and then head of the Hilton Hotels Brand Communication.
Denise Powell’s connection to Nebraska is the ordinary kind. She is married to Hobson Powell — Vice President for Global Support for Linked In. He lives in Omaha and so does she.
She has made herself into a Nebraskan. Beginning in 2010 she worked as Communications Director for an organization called Nebraska Loves Public Schools. They made brief documentaries about schools. She retained her national work as an independent consultant then became the partner for community engagement in an Omaha-based architecture firm in 2015. In 2017, She and a colleague also founded an organization called Women Who Run. This is an organization proud of its accomplishments. They recruited candidates and raised money for them. They are proud to point out that 65% of their endorsees have been elected.
For 2026 Denise Powell recruited hersel to run for Congress. She had to win the primary to replace the former Brigadier General and informal leader of relatively ineffectual Republican moderates in Congress. She appears to be pulling away in the general election polls. In September, she led Omaha City Councilor Brinker Harding 46-42. In an October poll, she led 50-38. During the course of the campaign, Denise Powell led Harding in total funds raised: $4.9 million to $2.9 million. For the stretch run after September 30, he led $1 million to $600,000. DONATE if you want to Denise Powell. The Cook Report has her seat as Likely Democratic. See Len’s Political Note #815
Nebraska Congressional District 03, however, is seen by the Cook Political Report as a +27 Republican lean. A seat as Republican as that is rarely much of a contest.
SOUTH DAKOTA
US SENATE
Brian Bengs grew up in Iowa. His high school was so small, it was closed after he and his class graduated. He joined the Navy, came home to get a BA at Iowa State and a JD from the University of Iowa. Then he returned to the military, joining the Air Force to become a part of JAG and eventually retiring as a Lt. Colonel. After his military service, he taught at Northern State University in South Dakota and served as a US Parks Ranger
Brian Bengs tried a Senate run in 2022. He became a Democrat for the election campaign and returned to being an independent as soon as the race was over. He ran against now Majority Leader of the United State Senate John Thune and got clobbered.
Brian Bengs did not retire from the military with political ambition. He ran for the US Senate in 2022 because he was distressed with what he saw as Senator John Thune’s complacency about the January 6 insurrection. He became a candidate for 2026 prodded by Donald Trump firing Park Rangers and damaging National Parks.
Brian Bengs expressed his political views in an interview prior to the 2022 election. He described the principal problem facing the country a`s the corrupting effect that money has in the political system. He said that the influence of the wealthy has led to an “uncompromising pursuit of lower taxes by and for the affluent” which has created both deficits and inadequate funding for “public goods” such as schools, law enforcement, and essential public works like maintaining roads. Brian Bengs warned that underfunding the government has led the United States to fall behind in global competition.
Brian Bengs believes the next serious problem the country could be facing is the impact of Artificial Intelligence. From driverless tractors to robotic meat companies to fast food restaurants that rely on a minimal number of workers, Brian Bengs worries about a time when half the country’s jobs might be eliminated.
Brian Bengs argues there are imaginative ways to address these problems. For instance, to moderate the impact of money in politics, he pointed to a South Dakota popular referendum vote that would have provided $100 in campaign donation vouchers to every registered voter as one kind of solution to the reliance on so much political money coming from the wealthy and from corporations. He noted, the South Dakota legislature repealed that voucher plan as quickly as it could. He calls for further thought about achieving progressive taxation and suggests we consider the kind of value-added tax (VAT) that most European countries have.
Incumbent Senator Mike Rounds grew up in Pierre, the oldest of eleven children. He owned a business, was elected state senator and governor, His responsibility, he says, was to create jobs, foster a friendly business environment, cut bureaucratic red tape, invest in children, honor the military, keep the state living within its means, and keep taxes low.
Does Mike Rounds have a competitive election? He is not offending anyone. The Democrats did polls in early September, late September, and mid-October to find out. According to those polls, the incumbent led in the first two: 45-42 and 53-47. But in the third poll, Brian Bengs led 43-42. Within days, Mike Rounds had an answer. His poll said he was in the lead 54-37. Mike Rounds financial lead resembles that last poll. On September 30, Mike Rounds had $1.75 million to Brian Bengs $150,000.
I don’t know if it is a truism, but it is likely that the closer to November, the more likely a poll is created to make a point than to discover reality. If you DONATE to Brian Bengs, you just might help flip one more Senate seat from the Republicans. See Len’s Political Note #774.
OTHER SOUTH DAKOTA RACES
Governor: Former State Senator and Executive Director of the State Democratic Party Don Ahlers once owned video rental stores. More recently he was President of and the administrator of the Dell Rapids Chamber of Commerce until he became head of the state Democratic Party. The Republican Incumbent Larry Rhoden was a state rep and state senator. He has opposed abortion, same-sex marriage, amnesty for immigrants. He pledged to never raise taxes and, if elected to the US Senate, to de-fund the Affordable Care Act. He has also said he is opposed to career politicians. Despite his distaste for career politicians, he has served in the State House of Representatives and State Senat. He has run for the US Senate was elected and served as Lt. Governor, and is now the governor. For that contradiction alone, it is worth considering making a DONATION to Don Ahlers except that a Democratic funded October poll found Rhoden ahead 48-38 and a neutral poll had Rhoden ahead 56-36.
State Commissioner of School and Public Land: Consider educator and Public Health Research Specialist Raeann Mettler. South Dakota is so Republican these days, it is hard to imagine a Down ballot win for a Democrat. It would take courage; a willingness to take a little risk for South Dakota independents to support and vote for Raeann Mettler.
She explains she is running for Commissioner of School and Public Lands to bring scientific expertise, practical land management experience, and transparent, accountable. leadership to an office entrusted with supporting South Dakota’s public schools and protecting our state’s natural resources for future generations. She says her early experience as seasonal field technician with the U.S. Forest Service gave her firsthand knowledge of public land management, field research, ecosystem health, and the challenges of balancing multiple uses of natural resources. She adds that working outdoors taught her that responsible stewardship requires careful observation, long-term planning, and an understanding of how decisions made today affect the landscape for generations.
She does not tout on her website that she has a doctoral degree in natural sciences from Black Hills State University and formerly taught at BHSU South Dakota Mines and Crzy horse Memorial University. Currently, she works as a research specialist in indigenous public health and wellness for a Native owned and operated medical research and public health organization that was founded in Eagle Butte, South Dakota. She explains that every dollar that the public lands could provide under her supervisions could be a dollar reduction in property taxes. The incumbent Brock Greenfield spent 22 years in the state legislature.
He says he spent those years protecting the rights of the unborn, defending our Second Amendment rights, and promoting fiscally conservative policy. Raeann Metter is someone worth spending a dollar or two on. DONATE to her campaign.
CONGRESS
South Dakota At Large Congressional Seat. Is Nikki Gronli worth a last minute donation? There is one poll and that poll is from the end of August. Republican Martin Jackley led 47-43. But….it was a poll funded by Nikki Gronli. And Nikki Gronli is way behind financially. The Republican candidate had $1.2 million on September 30 for the stretch run. Nikki Gronli had $100,000. And that is generously rounded up. If that is enough to put you off, I could understand it. Would you waiver if you knew she was perfect for the job.
Nikke Gronli led the US Agriculture Department’s Rural Development in South Dakota from 2022 to 2025. She oversaw millions of dollars in investments that supported housing, broadband, infrastructure, and community facilities. She not only knows what South Dakota needs from the federal government, she is well regarded for her leadership ability and capacity for getting people to work together. Furthermore, through serving on a variety of advisory boards, she has come to know the state’s needs beyond agriculture. She would be, if not perfect, great in the job.
And her opponent probably would not be great. Look at the Wikipedia page for Marty Jackley. It is a litany of bad judgment and blunders while he was Attorney General. Maybe corruption, though there is no indication of a venal basis for wrong decisions.
The EB-5 Scandal included a mistaken claim of suicide and a guilty plea of one count of unauthorized disposal of personal property. The GEAR UP scandal included a family murder-suicide and a multi-million dollar state contract. Consider the arrest the day after the 2014 Republican primary of candidate Annette Bosworth. And more. Lots more. So… Regardless of the financial disadvantage. Regardless of the lack of polls. It is worth taking a chance at the last minute. DONATE to Nikki Gronli. With the Blue Wave coming, you never know.
STATE LEGISLATURE
South Dakota has a 35 seat State Senate. There are 32 Republicans and 3 Democrats.
South Dakota has a 70 seat House of Representatives. There are 64 Republicans and 4 Democrats.
They just have too far to go to overcome, in a year, the supermajorities in either House. Save that problem for another time.
