Secretary of State Jason Gant takes oath

Secretary of State Jason Gant takes oath of office early

AP • JANUARY 5, 2011

PIERRE — Republican Jason Gant is already at work as South Dakota’s new secretary of state.

He was sworn in Sunday, nearly a week ahead of the swearing-in for the governor and other constitutional officers.

Gant was elected secretary of state in November. He replaces Chris Nelson, who was term limited and is Gov.-elect Dennis Daugaard’s choice to fill an upcoming vacancy on the Public Utilities Commission.

Gant told KCCR radio he wanted to get to work early to prepare for the legislative session.

He plans to take the oath of office again Saturday at inaugural ceremonies.

Merry Christmas from the Gant family

Jason & Chris

Abbi, Sophie, & Mallory

& Dallas

News : Two staffers to leave Secretary of State’s office - Capital Journal Pierre, SD newspaper since 1881

News : Two staffers to leave Secretary of State’s office - Capital Journal Pierre, SD newspaper since 1881

Two staffers to leave Secretary of State’s office

By Bob Mercer
STATE CAPITOL BUREAU
Published/Last Modified on Thursday, Nov 25, 2010 - 06:05:31 am CST

PIERRE — Two top members of Secretary of State Chris Nelson’s staff won’t be staying when his successor takes office in January.

Deputy secretary Teresa Bray and state elections supervisor Kea Warne said Wednesday they have informed Secretary of State-elect Jason Gant about their plans to leave.

Gant won the Republican nomination in a convention battle against Bray and state Rep. Tom Deadrick of Platte last summer. He won a three-way race in the general election Nov. 2.

Nelson, a Republican, couldn’t see a third consecutive term because of the limitation set in the South Dakota constitution.

“When I met with Secretary-elect Gant two weeks ago, I informed him that I would be moving on at the end of the year,” Bray said.

“It has truly been an honor to serve alongside Secretary Nelson as his deputy secretary of state. It is an experience that I will cherish always,” she said.

Warne has worked in the office for more than 17 years, including the past eight-plus years as elections supervisor, the position previously held by Nelson.

She said she was asked to stay under Gant but decided to resign effective Dec. 31. She submitted a resume to the transition office of Gov.-elect Dennis Daugaard.

During her time as election supervisor the office implemented the federal Help America Vote Act and federal reforms for overseas and military voters.

They also developed the statewide voter file, the Internet-based central election-result reporting system, the electronic voter registration cancellation program and driver license voter registration.

“I feel my career has reached its height at this office and I look forward to new challenges and new opportunities elsewhere,” Warne said in her resignation letter.

The next step for Nelson will be an appointment by Gov.-elect Daugaard to fill a vacancy on the state Public Utilities Commission when Dusty Johnson resigns to become chief of staff for the new governor on Jan. 8.

Johnson won re-election to a six-year term Nov. 2. Nelson’s appointment would cover the first two years. The remaining four years will be subject to election in 2012. Nelson plans to run.

Gant, a state senator from Sioux Falls, said he plans to reorganize the secretary of state office into three divisions — elections, business services and operations — and will name a director for each.

“I have not finalized who each of the directors will be at this time. My goal is to have the directors named very shortly,” he said.

Gant said he doesn’t plan to have a deputy. He said he intends to start work as secretary of state on Jan. 3, five days before most state elected officials take their oaths of office during the inauguration ceremonies in the Capitol rotunda.

“I want to hit the ground running and start preparing for the legislative session. I have a number of pieces of legislation that I need to have ready for when session starts, as well as taking a very hard look at the budget for the office in preparation for the (Legislature’s) appropriations committee,” Gant said.

The 2011 session of the Legislature opens Jan. 11 and is scheduled to conclude its run of 38 working days on March 28.

Jason Gant elected SD Secretary of State

Election Results

November 2, 2010

Jason Gant (R) 163,826 54.17%

Ben Nesselhuf (D) 118,623 39.22%

Lori Stacey (C) 19,968 6.60%

Jason Gant wins three-way contest

Sioux Falls legislator pledges transparency in campaign finances

SARAH REINECKE • SREINECKE@ARGUSLEADER.COM • NOVEMBER 3, 2010

Republican Sen. Jason Gant was elected Tuesday as secretary of state.

Gant defeated state Sen. Ben Nesselhuf, D-Vermillion, and Lori Stacey of the Constitution Party.

Gant, 33, will succeed Chris Nelson, who could not run for re-election because of term limits.

Gant attributes the win to his hard work, and visiting every county in the state.

"We always made it a family adventure," he said. "It's a wonderful win tonight. We campaigned on the issues of making sure our elections were safe and secure. And South Dakotans definitely agreed."

Gant said he plans to be proactive in making it easier for people to vote and register to vote. He promised to make sure ballots are counted and completed legally and run elections efficiently.

As secretary of state, Gant plans to make campaign finance records more transparent and make it easier for the public to search online to find who contributed to a campaign, how much money was donated, and how that money was spent.

Gant has served as a state senator since 2005, and serves on the commerce, health and human service and government committees. He also owns a health care consulting business.

Lucas Lentsch, executive director of the South Dakota Republican Party, said Gant's experience in the state Senate will serve him well.

"He's going to be an excellent advocate for South Dakota free and fair elections," Lentsch said. "Jason Gant knew the issues he was running on and stuck firm on those issues. That resonated with the voters of South Dakota."

Nesselhuf, 35, called it a tough year for Democrats. He said he has no immediate plans, and he didn't ever think of the possibility of not winning.

"We ran a race that I'm so proud of, we worked so hard across the board," Nesselhuf said. "We maybe picked the worst year in my adult life to run as a Democrat."

Gant lives in Sioux Falls with his wife Chris and three children - Abbi, Sophie and Mallory. He graduated from the University of South Dakota in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in political science.

Nesselhuf served as a state representative from 2001 to 2004 and as a state senator from 2005 to the present.

Stacey, 46, could not be reached for comment. She had hoped, if elected, to return to hand-counting paper ballots and make it easier for third-party candidates to appear on the ballot.

Read it all here.

Gant Elected SD Secretary Of State

KELOLAND.COM

Published: November 2, 2010, 10:20 PM

SIOUX FALLS, SD - South Dakota voters have elected another Republican as secretary of state.

Jason Gant defeated Democrat Ben Nesselhuf and third-party candidate Lori Stacey in Tuesday's election. Gant is from Sioux Falls and has served three terms in the state senate.

The secretary of state's office supervises elections and handles corporate business filings. The incumbent, Chris Nelson, is term limited.

A Democrat last held the office in the 1970s.

2010 Associated Press

Read it all here.

GOP maintains domination on state constitutional offices

Rapid City Journal

Kevin Woster Journal staff | Posted: Tuesday, November 2, 2010 11:45 pm

All Republican going in, all Republican coming out.

That was the general election story Tuesday for South Dakota's six constitutional office races.

Public Utilities Commission Chairman Dusty Johnson led a Republican sweep of the often-overlooked constitutional office races -- including the PUC, secretary of state, attorney general, treasure, auditor and school and public lands commissioner.

With 661 of 791 precincts reporting statewide Tuesday night, the first-term PUC commissioner had an overwhelming lead over Jefferson businessman Doyle Karpen -- 74 percent to 26 percent. Johnson said he believed voters responded to his commitment to his job and performance during his first six-year term.

"I think they appreciate that six years after I was elected, I'm still out busting my butt every day trying to do to make my little corner of the world better," Johnson said.

He praised Karpen for running an issue-oriented race and said it was important to have opposition.

"The bottom line is, when politicians have to go out on a campaign and participate in a statewide job interview, it's good for the process," Johnson said.

At the same point in the vote count, Republicans led in other races by comfortable margins, as well.

In the race for secretary of state, Republican state Sen. Jason Gant led Democratic state Sen. Ben Nesselhuf 55 percent to 39 percent, with Constitution Party candidate Lori Stacey in third with 6 percent.

Gant said he believed his focus on protecting the integrity of the state voting system was important to voters.

"It was the issues, talking about voter fraud and concerns about our elections, and making sure we run our elections fair and legal," Gant said. "I think that message resonated with South Dakotans, and I'm going to stick with it."

Attorney General Marty Jackley, a former U.S. attorney appointed to the attorney general's job when Larry Long became a judge, led former state legislator Ron Volesky 67 percent to 33 percent. Jackley said voters complimented him on state involvement in multi-state legal actions to protect states from federal intrusion on health care and gun and ammunition regulations, as well as a suit on Black Hills forest management.

"I've learned a lot about what people want in this campaign. I intend to use it to be a better attorney general," he said.

In the treasurer's race, Republican state Auditor Rich Sattgast led Democrat Tom Katus, a former state senator from Rapid City, 66 percent to 34 percent. Republican Steve Barnett led Democrat Julie Bartling 61 percent to 39 percent in the auditor's race. And Republican Jarrod Johnson led Democrat Bob Pille 67 percent to 33 percent in the School and Public Lands commissioner's race.

Contact Kevin Woster at 394-8413 or kevin.woster@rapidcityjournal.com

Read it all here.

Mitchell Daily Republic Endorses Gant

The Mitchell Daily Republic endorses Jason Gant for Secretary of State.

"The choice in South Dakota’s secretary of state race is between Jason Gant, a Republican, and Ben Nesselhuf, a Democrat, who are vying for term-limited incumbent Chris Nelson’s position. A third candidate, Lori Stacey, of the Constitution Party, has scarcely been heard or seen during the campaign.

The office is in charge of, among other things, overseeing elections in the state and maintaining information on campaign finances and corporations.

Nesselhuf has promised to be an aggressive secretary of state. He wants to transform the office into a leader in economic development by using the corporate filings to connect entrepreneurs with development officials. He says the secretary of state is a first point of contact for entrepreneurs, and the holder of the office is therefore in a position to be an economic development coordinator of sorts.

Gant, meanwhile, has pledged a more conservative approach. He has promised to focus on what the office was created for: ensuring fair and accurate elections, and providing the public with access to things such as campaign finance reports and corporate information. During Gant’s time in the Legislature, his record on government openness was impressive enough to earn the Eagle Award from the South Dakota Newspaper Association, which is given annually to a person who works for government openness. Nesselhuf has also pledged to work on these basic duties of the office, but he seems bent on converting the secretary of state’s job into the kind of highprofile post that it was never intended to be.

So, we’ll vote for Jason Gant. There is really nothing in government that’s more important than an election, and we want the secretary of state to be laser-focused on making each and every election in this state run smoothly and effectively. A foray into economic development, or other issues not assigned to the secretary of state by law, could endanger that focus."

Read it all here.

Republican Legislators Support Enhanced Penalties for Vote Bribery

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:

October 28, 2010 Lucas Lentsch, 605-224-7347

Republican Legislators Support Enhanced Penalties for Vote Bribery

PIERRE - Eighteen Republican legislators today announced their support for Jason Gant's proposal to enhance penalties for vote bribery. Earlier this week, State Senator Jason Gant, the Republican candidate for Secretary of State, proposed increased penalties in response to ‘food-for-votes’ rallies being promoted by Stephanie Herseth Sandlin and the Democratic Party.

“We must continue to assure that our elections are open and honest and free of impropriety,” said Speaker of the House Tim Rave.

"This is South Dakota, not Chicago," said State Representative Brian Gosch of Rapid City. "We expect our elections to be clean and fair."

"Jason Gant has it right," said State Representative Justin Cronin of Gettysburg. "These allegations need to be taken seriously and the penalties should be enhanced."

State Representative Dan Lederman from Dakota Dunes added, “I find this behavior despicable and a shameless display of voter fraud.”

Current Legislators offering their support for the Gant proposal include:

State Senate State House of Representatives

Sen. Al Novstrup Speaker of the House Tim Rave

Sen. Bob Gray Rep. Brian Gosch

Sen. Tom Hansen Rep. Justin Cronin

Sen. Corey Brown Rep. Dan Lederman

Sen. Jeff Haverly Rep. Charlie Hoffman

Sen. Cooper Garnos Rep. David Lust

Sen. Russ Olson Rep. Kim Vanneman

Sen. Larry Rhoden Rep. Deb Peters

Sen. Tom Nelson Rep. Jim Bolin

Gant's proposal called for increasing penalties to a Class 6 felony, which carries with it a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $2000 fine.

###

Gant Proposes Tougher Penalties for Voter Fraud

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT:

October 25, 2010 Jason Gant, 605-321-1596

Gant Proposes Tougher Penalties for Voter Fraud

HURON – Senator Jason Gant, Republican candidate for South Dakota Secretary of State, promised today to enhance voter fraud penalties as one of his first acts as South Dakota's new Secretary of State, should he be elected. The reason for the statement centers around allegations that the South Dakota Democratic Party and Representative Herseth Sandlin’s campaigns have been offering food and rides to polling places in exchange for votes.

"I will propose to the next Legislature that we enhance penalties related to offering bribes in exchange for votes," Gant said. "Election integrity is fundamental - we must have elections free from fraud and corruption. I have been focused on issues just like these from the beginning of my campaign."

The current penalty for bribery of a voter is a Class 2 misdemeanor, which can result in a sentence of no more than 30 days in jail and a $500 fine. After a significant amount of consultation with law enforcement and the legal community, Senator Gant will propose that a violation of this statute be considered a Class 6 felony, which carries a maximum penalty of a $4000 fine and two years in prison.

"Our current Secretary of State and Attorney General have acknowledged an investigation is underway. I applaud their integrity. What I do not condone are attempts made by candidates in the face of overwhelming evidence to portray illegal activity as petty, political party bickering. I hope that by enhancing these penalties we will stop this activity," concluded Senator Gant.

Senator Jason Gant was first elected to the South Dakota State Senate in 2004 and reelected in 2006 and 2008. Senator Gant won the Republican nomination for Secretary of State at the State Republican Convention in June 2010. Senator Gant owns his own healthcare consulting company. Jason is married to Chris who is a nurse practitioner, and they have three daughters, Abbi (7), Sophie (5), and Mallory (2). For more information about Senator Gant, visit his website at www.jasongant.com.

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NRA Endorses Gant

The National Rifle Association has endorsed Senator Jason Gant for South Dakota Secretary of State. The NRA awarded Senator Gant an A+ rating...his opponent received an F.

Here is a link to the NRA endorsement page.

Gant will stand up and fight voter fraud

Food-for-vote flap draws call for integrity

FROM STAFF REPORTS • OCTOBER 27, 2010 • ARGUS LEADER

Controversy over accusations that political parties have been using food to obtain votes emerged this week as the latest issue in the South Dakota Secretary of State race, where state Sen. Jason Gant vowed to enhance voter fraud penalties if he is elected to that office.

"I will propose to the next Legislature that we enhance penalties related to offering bribes in exchange for votes," the Sioux Falls Republican said in a statement. "Election integrity is fundamental - we must have elections free from fraud and corruption."

Gant proposes that bribery of a voter - now considered a misdemeanor - be made a felony which could bring prison time.

Gant's opponent, Democratic state Sen. Ben Nesselhuf of Vermillion, said he thinks the proposal is premature, and the appropriate response is to allow the allegations to be investigated.

"I think it's inappropriate to make any sort of knee-jerk reaction before the facts are in," Nesselhuf said. "To make a statement like this before knowing the facts of the situation, I think it's disappointing ... I suspect it has more to do with the election next week than with the integrity of future elections."

Food for Votes Investigation

South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley continues to investigate the Food for Votes scandals that have taken place recently.

As your next Secretary of State, Jason Gant will continue to call for investigations whenever the integrity of our elections are compromised.

Here is the link to the press release below...

2010 Election Early Voting Complaints

PIERRE, S.D.- Attorney General Marty J. Jackley confirms that the State is continuing to receive various complaints about offering of food in exchange for or to induce voting. Complaints have been submitted by both Republican and Democrat political parties, local law enforcement, and private citizens.

Similar concerns were raised in 1996 and 1998 elections, and were addressed with a cautionary letter by then United States Attorney Karen Schreier and Attorney General Mark Barnett. On October 14, 2010, United States Attorney Brendan Johnson and South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley issued to both political parties a similar joint cautionary letter that adopted their predecessors’ legal analysis and set forth the applicable state and federal law.

The Attorney General intends to treat all concerns or complaints under its normal procedure of accepting any information, and making further determinations as the facts may justify.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, October 25, 2010

CONTACT: Paige Wilbur, (605) 773-3215

Q&A with Gant

Read the entire article here.

Candidate Q&A: Attorney general, state auditor, secretary of state

3 statewide races vital to voters' everyday lives

SHERI LEVISAY • SLEVISAY@ARGUSLEADER.COM • OCTOBER 22, 2010

It's only natural that the top-of-the-ticket candidates are the focus for many South Dakota voters.

But other statewide races will be on the ballot Nov. 2, and the duties they perform have far-ranging effects on our everyday lives:

The secretary of state not only is in charge of elections, but whoever is elected will keep public records and register trademarks and corporations. The attorney general represents South Dakota in court cases and also is the chief law enforcement officer in the state, in charge of the division of criminal investigation and consumer protection.

The state auditor is the accountant for every aspect of the state's budget and oversees the payroll for all state employees.

Here are the responses to an Argus Leader questionnaire for the candidates for these three offices:

Secretary Of State

Jason Gant

Age: 33

Party: Republican

City: Sioux Falls

Family: Wife, Chris; three daughters, Abbi, Sophie and Mallory

Background: State Senator

Occupation: Small Business Owner

1. What would be your top two priorities if you become South Dakota's next secretary of state?

Serving as the chief elections officer is priority one. Our elections must be run efficiently and by the books. I will work day after day to ensure that your vote is counted correctly. We must also make our campaign finance reports more open and transparent so the public can see where the money is coming from. We must also make it easier for businesses to get started in South Dakota. We can do this by using technology and allowing for online corporate filings.

2. What improvements do you feel are necessary to the state's election process?

I will be a proactive secretary of state to make sure voter fraud activities do not start in South Dakota. We must review all types of election irregularities across the country and then make sure South Dakota laws and procedures are set up to stop them from happening. This will ensure that our South Dakota elections are run fair and legal. Our greatest freedom is the right to vote. My number one mission will be to ensure one person, one ballot, one vote.

Debate Audio Highlights

WNAX.com Here is the link to the WNAX.com story. Candidates Debate The two candidates running to be South Dakota’s next Secretary of State met in a debate in Yankton last (Thursday) night. Republican Jason Gant of Sioux Falls and democrat Ben Nesselhuf of Vermillion are both currently state senators. A question was raised about the food for votes investigation underway, following allegations, mostly on indian reservations, that democrats were providing food at early vote rallies. Gant said he supports the ongoing investigation... Nesselhuf said he has been at similar gatherings, and didn’t hear complaints of illegal activity... Gant says he thinks the law needs to be followed carefully when voting is involved... Nesselhuf says there seems to be a common thread about these complaints... Current Secretary of State Chris Nelson is finishing his second four year term, and can’t run for re-election.

Letters: Gant will preserve integrity

MIKE AUSTAD • SIOUX FALLS • OCTOBER 25, 2010 • ARGUS LEADER

We need a secretary of state who will continue to be an advocate for all South Dakotans. Jason Gant is that person.

As a state senator, Gant has worked to promote and preserve election vote-count integrity. He supports voter photo identification requirements. His opponent, Ben Nesselhuf, does not. Gant is against policies that entice voter fraud, such as new voter registration on election day. Nesselhuf supports these same-day registration and vote scams.

Gant will give South Dakota residents confidence that their votes will be counted accurately. He has a proven record as a South Dakota legislator who has shown favorable approval through his re-election by the people of his district.

Let's push back the frontiers of voting fraud and vote for honest election counts. Let's vote for Gant.

Letters: Gant will protect process

LAURA R. DERAAD • LEOLA • OCTOBER 22, 2010 • ARGUS LEADER

"Vote early and often" is attributed to Chicago's corrupt politics associated with Al Capone and Mayor Richard J. Daley. Every American citizen regards his or her vote as practically sacred. We want our vote protected and counted.

That's why I find the candidacy of Ben Nesselhuf for South Dakota secretary of state troubling. He is endorsed by the Secretary of State Project, which requires certain disturbing requirements of its endorsees.

The photo identification requirement for voting in South Dakota gives integrity to our voting process. Nesselhuf, while a state legislator in 2003, voted against HB1176, the bill that created the photo identification law in our state. The Secretary of State Project wants to abolish that protection.

Nesselhuf also advocates Election Day registration. Can you imagine someone registering and voting in every county on Election Day, leaving no time to check on voter validity? Perhaps "vote early and often" would apply here.

Furthermore, Nesselhuf would like to see the federal government take over our election process. Can you envision what a mess that would be?

I want my vote protected from fraud and manipulation.

I'm voting for Jason Gant, an honest man who will protect the integrity of the election process.

Jason Gant Washington Takeover

Poll Numbers

The only poll that counts is the one on Election Day, but it is exciting to be up by 12 points!

Read the article here.

Here is what the article said about the SOS race...

In general election matchups in the race for the office of secretary of state between Jason Gant, the Republican, Lori Stacey, the Constitution Party candidate, and Ben Nesselhuf, the Democrat, the data suggest Gant has a slight lead, 35 percent to 23 percent over Nesselhuf, with Stacey trailing a distant third with 2 percent. The largest percentage of respondents, 38 percent, remain undecided. Seven percent of self-identified Democrats indicated they would support Gant, the Republican, but less than 1 percent of self-identified Republicans indicated that they would support Nesselhuf, the Democrat.

Importance of SOS Race

Here is an article discussing the importance of the Secretary of State races across the country.

Here is what the article said about South Dakota...

South Dakota

Incumbent Republican Chris Nelson is term limited from running for a third term. Republican state Sen. Jason Gant and Democrat state Sen. Ben Nesselhuf are vying for the open seat. I haven’t seen any polling data, but the Republicans are poised for massive landslides on the Senatorial and Gubernatorial races. As with Michigan, this should be a safe bet, but it is the other Republican seat that Soros is challenging. It is also important to note that in SD, the Secretary of State is the authority for issuance of concealed weapon permits. Gant has been outspoken about the Democrats longtime cheating on Indian reservations, and needs some more money to keep him on top.