Republican Tom Dempster is the Assistant Majority Leader seeking his fourth term in the South Dakota state Senate.
Obviously Dempster has some cursory knowledge of the filing process in the state, given he's been through the process three times. Or so you'd think...
To get on the ballot in South Dakota candidates need signatures from only fifty registered voters in the district. It seems Senator Dempster filed either incorrect paperwork or too few signatures. Either way, come November he won't be on the ballot as a Republican according to South Dakota’s Secretary of State.
It gets better.
According to South Dakota law, Senator Dempster can qualify at a later date to appear on the ballot as an Independent - assuming he can figure out the paperwork this time.
Though this apparent incompetence gave us a chuckle, it is no laughing matter for Republicans desperate to hold on to their tenuous 20-15 Senate majority. After losing five seats in the 2006 elections, they now face the real possibility of losing the chamber to Democrats - who are raising historic amounts of money and have recruited their strongest class of candidates to date.
Read more about the enormous stakes in South Dakota here.
While not every state is lucky enough to have Republicans like Dempster who forget how to file, Democrats are making bold moves across the nation to continue expanding upon the legislative majorities we already have.
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