The South Dakota Democratic Party and Democratic legislative district parties will host Legislative District Presidential Delegate Selection caucuses across South Dakota on Saturday, March 8.
The 35 legislative district caucuses are the first of a two-tiered caucus system to select 10 delegates and three alternates to the Democratic National Convention in late August at Denver, Colo., Jack Billion, chair of the South Dakota Democratic Party, said. The 35 caucuses on March 8 will select delegates to the statewide caucus in Pierre on March 22, where slates of 10 potential national convention delegates and three alternates are chosen. Those names will appear below the names of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., on the June 3 state primary ballot.
“We are working hard to reach out to each and every legislative district to increase the involvement of the people in the Democratic Party,” Billion said. “This is one of the most interesting and compelling elections in the last 50 years, and it has transformed the involvement of ordinary citizens in the political process. We’re seeing interest growing very quickly as our state’s primary election looms nearer.”
Billion said the first step to participating in the district caucus meetings is to complete a form which must be returned to the SDDP office in Sioux Falls before Wednesday. Forms are available from county party leaders and on the state party’s website, www.sddp.org.
Democrats attending the district meetings March 8 will elect slates pledged to either Clinton or Obama, or as uncommitted. The number of delegates assigned to each legislative district is based on an average of the votes from the district for the Democratic presidential candidates in 2000 and 2004.
The popular vote in the June 3 Democratic presidential primary in South Dakota will determine which of the slates of potential delegates and alternates will become delegates to the national convention. It is required that a candidate receives no less than 15 percent of the vote to qualify for candidates.
“If both candidates are still in contention by March 25 when the filing deadline occurs in South Dakota, their names and their slates of delegates will appear on the ballot. The share of delegates and alternates each candidate receives will be based on the percentage of the popular vote they received,” Billion said. “For example, if Clinton receives 60 percent of the vote and Obama receives 40 percent on June 3, then the first six names under Clinton name and first two alternates get to go to Denver, and the first four names under Obama’s name get to be delegates and the first alternate candidate gets to go to Denver.
Six additional delegates and one more alternate will be chosen by the Democratic State Central Committee at the S.D. Democratic State Convention on June 28. Another class of delegates, who are chosen by their position in the state party, are the “super-delegates,” the state party’s chair, vice chair, Democratic National Committeeman, Democratic National Committeewoman, Sen. Tim Johnson, Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin and former Sen. Tom Daschle. The total size of South Dakota’s convention delegation is 23 delegates and four alternates.
The following is a list of district caucus meetings on March 8, the times and locations and the number of delegates to the state caucus allowed to each campaign at the district caucuses.
Legislative District 1 – 10 a.m.
10 delegates, three alternates
Dakota Diner, Webster, S.D.
Legislative Districts 2 and 3 – 10 a.m.
Nine delegates, two alternates for District 2
Eight delegates, two alternates for District 3
Machinist Union District Lodge 5
617 S. 15th Street, Aberdeen, S.D.
Legislative District 4 – 10 a.m.
Seven delegates, two alternates
Cooper Room, Brookings City Library
515 3rd Street, Brookings, S.D.
Legislative District 5 – Noon
Seven delegates, two alternates
American Legion Post 17
1412 9th Ave., Watertown, S.D.
Legislative District 6
Seven delegates, two alternates
American Legion Post 17
1412 9th Ave., Watertown, S.D.
Legislative District 7 – 10 a.m.
Six delegates, one alternate
Cooper Room, Brookings City Library
515 3rd Street, Brookings, S.D.
Legislative District 8 – 10 a.m.
Eight delegates, two alternates
Second Street Diner
610 Washington Ave., Madison, S.D.
Legislative Districts 9-15 – 10 a.m.
District 9 – eight delegates, two alternates
District 10 – eight delegates, two alternates
District 11 – eight delegates, two alternates
District 12 – seven delegates, two alternates
District 13 – seven delegates, two alternates
District 14 – eight delegates, two alternates
District 15 – five delegates, one alternate
Labor Temple (10th Street & Fairfax Avenue)
101 S. Fairfax Ave., Sioux Falls, S.D.
Legislative District 16 – 10 a.m.
Seven delegates, two alternates
Beresford Public Library
115 S. 3rd Street, Beresford, S.D.
Legislative District 17 – 10 a.m.
Six delegates, two alternates
Buffalo Run Winery
1500 W. Main, Vermillion, S.D.
Legislative District 18 – 10:30 a.m.
Seven delegates, two alternates
The Frying Pan Restaurant
21st & Broadway, Yankton, S.D.
Legislative District 19 – 10 a.m.
Six delegates, one alternate
The Open Door Café, Menno, S.D.
After the caucus, there will be a review of the 2008 Legislature presented by Sen. Frank Kloucek.
Legislative District 20
Seven delegates, two alternates
Life Quest (the former Mitchell Area Adjustment Training Center)
Near the Mitchell High School campus, Mitchell, S.D.
Legislative District 21
Nine delegates, two alternates
Casey’s Café conference room
East of Exit 263 on I-90, Chamberlain, S.D.
Legislative District 22
Eight delegates, two alternates
American Trust Bank Community Room, Miller, S.D.
Legislative District 23
Five delegates, one alternate
Rick’s Café back room
117 S. Main Street, Mobridge, S.D.
Legislative District 24 – 10 a.m.
Five delegates, one alternate
St. Charles Hotel meeting room, Pierre, S.D.
Legislative District 25 – 10 a.m.
Eight delegates, one alternate
Life Quest (the former Mitchell Area Adjustment Training Center)
Near the Mitchell High School campus, Mitchell, S.D.
Legislative District 26 –10 a.m.
Eight delegates, two alternates
Sinte Gleska University Multipurpose Commons, Mission, S.D.
Legislative District 27 – 10 a.m.
Eight delegates, two alternates
Oglala Lakota College Center, Kyle, S.D.
Legislative District 28 – 10 a.m.
Seven delegates, two alternates
Cheyenne River Youth Project Teen Center, Eagle Butte, S.D.
Legislative District 29 – 10 a.m.
Five delegates, one alternate
American Legion Hall, Piedmont, S.D.
Legislative District 30 – 10 a.m.
Five delegates, one alternate
Steak & Ribs Place, Custer, S.D.
Legislative District 31 – 10 a.m.
Five delegates, one alternate
Hudson Hall, Spearfish, S.D.
Legislative Districts 32-35 – 9 a.m.
District 32 – six delegates, one alternate
District 33 – four delegates, one alternate
District 34 – six delegates, two alternates
District 35 – five delegates, one alternate
Labor Temple, Rapid City, S.D.
[A list of legislative districts and maps of districts are found on the S.D. Legislative Research Council website:
http://legis.state.sd.us/who/index.aspx
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