South Dakota Republican Party Heritage, History and Future; 2022 SDGOP State Convention

It's an honor to be here today in Rapid City, not so far from the places that President Theodore Roosevelt used to visit back around the turn of the century, but it's an honor also to share this platform with so many of South Dakota's finest. Your Governor Bill Janklow, your next Governor George Mickelson, and the man South Dakota is about to re-elect to the United States Senate, Jim Abner. Would you rather have an America that is strong and proud and free? Do you want Jim Abner as your Senator from the great state of South Dakota? In South Dakota, the heritage of the Republican Party runs deep. In no other state of the Union has the grand old party had more success and support. This success runs to the earliest history of our great state and to the party's beginnings in the Midwest. In the 1850s, anti-slavery activists began meeting in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Michigan. They demanded an end to racial bondage and formed the Republican Party to make it happen. The first Republican President, Abraham Lincoln, appointed the first Governor of the Dakota Territory, Republican William Jane. After the Civil War, South Dakota was settled by Union soldiers from the Midwest. They assembled in conventions to write the state's first constitution. The first Governor of South Dakota was a Civil War veteran from Watertown named Arthur Mallette. In those early years, 80% of South Dakotans were members of the Republican Party. They made decisions at their annual conventions, such as the 1892 Convention in Tyndall. Republican leaders in South Dakota made their state a beacon of democracy. They carved monuments to the American founders who built the American Republic. The great Republican President Calvin Coolidge took note of his party's success in South Dakota and spent the summer of 1927 in the Black Hills. South Dakota Republican leaders became icons in the American efforts to fight tyranny abroad. A young pilot from Sioux Falls named Joe Foss became the nation's leading ace. Foss led the GOP in the 1950s and was elected Governor of the state he loved. He also started the Governor's annual pheasant hunt, which continues to this day. A young college professor from Madison named Carl Mundt led the fight against communism abroad and at home. He exposed some of the most threatening communist conspiracies at home during his investigative work. Mundt also defeated another college professor, a liberal named George McGovern, in an epic showdown in 1960. and importing from overseas someplace importing systems which invariably have failed in the land of their origin they bring them here and try them out discarding the system which we have i think by utilizing the system which has worked so well and adapting it to the we can continue to make american history which will be the envy of the world but by muddling it up and messing it up and weakening it and destroying it by infiltrating into it systems which are no part of when you fail doesn't utilize it its zest and its zeal and its strength and its vitality to elect people in all of these offices who want to utilize who want to utilize a system which has succeeded instead of experimenting with a system which is failing and occurring that simple message to the people we can excite a great crusade in the length and breadth of this republic which is going to restore once again the operation of an american system which at a place it has been tried through the post-war era republican governors in south dakota fought to keep the state free of government regulation like an ex-marine from flandreau named bill jacklo who became nationally known for fighting for south dakota the south dakota republican party built on its winning tradition in 2004 when john thune defeated the senate majority leader the nation's highest ranking democrat the result of south dakota republicans coming together to fight this monumental struggle and succeed the strong south dakota grassroots movement elected leaders like mike rounds dennis dugard and dusty johnson and achieved history when it went on to elect the first female republican to the house of representatives in christy gnome in 2016 the state overwhelmingly voted to send donald j trump to the white house to make america great again in 2018 history was made again in south dakota when the people elected christy gnome as the first female governor of the state under her leadership south dakota has become an example to the nation some places taught conservative here we live it we are incredibly thankful for the amazing legacy left by those who came before and the strong foundations that they've built as we look ahead we must continue to build on that the foundation built on the principles that have made the state of south dakota and the united states of america so great the principles that believe that every man and woman ought to be free and that government should only exist to secure that freedom in short the south dakota motto under god the people rule