RAPID CITY, SD — Among elections of higher office, funding is a near-constant issue. Lobbying is one of, if not the prime concern of many Americans when it comes to their presidents, their governors, and their congresspeople.
What often fails to receive as much attention is funding for more local offices, and often in those elections funding nearly entirely escapes notice. PACs may forward their goals and chosen candidates in nearly complete darkness. However amid the turbulent economic and political landscape of the last months, political engagement at all levels becomes more important than ever– in all facets it comes in, especially when concerning the great mover of our society: money.
While individual contributions are numerous for all candidates involved, in total Angela Bradsky Rafferty is a clear victor for largest campaign budget, with contributions totaling nearly $20,000, $11,650 of which owes to higher contributions from individual, many of whom are from or associated with the Bradsky family, who have over the past century contributed to a number of businesses, and who currently own Liv Hospitality.
The incumbent Candidates, Jamie Clapham and Michael Birkeland received their largest donations from Support Public Education, a Rapid City based Political Action Committee, both receiving $5,000 contributions. Both also received $200 and $400 respectively from Democracy In Action, a PAC with past connections to Better South Dakota, an organization whose website states their mission to “raise awareness for mental health and suicide prevention in South Dakota”.
Individually, Clapham also received a $500 contribution from South Dakota Concerned Citizens, a PAC registered to Vale’s Cottonwood Creek Campground, chaired by republican state representative Travis Ismay, which has existed since 2023. Birkeland conversely received a $1,000 donation from South Dakota EPIC, the political branch of the South Dakota Education Association, whose mission includes funding for rural schools, racial equality within the educational system, and the rights of educators.
The campaign for Rafferty and Brian Johnson is somewhat more obscure. Both notably additionally received endorsements from Dakota First Action, an organization run by Gubernatorial hopeful and businessman Toby Doeden who in his announcement pledged to create classrooms “free from indoctrination and divisive ideologies,” and who has in the past supported the introduction of a taxpayer-funded private/religious school voucher program.
Free Republic is a PAC chaired by local real-estate agent Rob Wordeman, contributing $2,000 to Rafferty and $500 to Johnson for their campaign.
PSA PAC, INC is notable for its lack of information. Financial reports indicate that it is an unauthorized PAC headquartered in Virginia, and that it was founded in the previous month. A search on the Federal Election Commission’s database revealed little more except that the organization lists one officer– Treasurer Chris Marston. Marston is notable as an advisory council member for the Republican National Lawyer’s Association, and as the Treasurer for the PAC “Moms For Liberty”, who advocate against curricula which mention discrimination, the civil rights battles of racial and ethnic groups, as well as LGBTQ rights. Both Rafferty and Johnson received their largest PAC contribution at $5,000 dollars each.
