Party Officers

Randy Seiler
Randy SeilerChair
Randy is a lifelong South Dakotan. Before pursuing his dream of becoming a lawyer, Randy spent four years in the U.S. Air Force, including a tour in Vietnam. He was appointed as the Youngest Director of the Division of Law Enforcement Assistance by Governor Richard F. Kneip. He attended the University of South Dakota School of Law graduating in 1980. While in Law School, Randy served as Editor-in-Chief of the S.D. Law Review and was awarded the Gavel Award as the outstanding student in the graduating class. Following law school, he served as a Law Clerk in U.S. District Court in Sioux Falls, before going into private practice in Mobridge.

After 14 years in private practice, Randy joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He was lead counsel on over 75 federal felony jury trials and over 600 criminal cases and earned several Department of Justice awards for his work. He also served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney and was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as U.S. Attorney. Since retirement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he has served as Hughes County State’s Attorney and as Chief Prosecutor for the Lower Brule and Standing Rock Sioux Tribes. During the course of his career, Randy has also served on the Fort Pierre City Council, Verendrye Museum Board of Directors, South Dakota Board of Pardons and Paroles, South Dakota Board of Education, Badlands National Park Conservancy Board of Directors, Mobridge School Board, and the Mobridge Rodeo Association Board of Directors. Randy has four grown children and lives in Fort Pierre with his wife Wanda. Randy says the best job he has ever had is being grandpa to two granddaughters – Brooklyn, age 6, and Alley, age 5.

Jennifer Slaight-Hansen
Jennifer Slaight-HansenVice Chair
Jennifer Slaight-Hansen has served on the Executive Board of the South Dakota Democratic Party and as Chair of the Brown County Democrats for over a decade. Slaight-Hansen was elected to the Aberdeen City Council in 2009 and served the city in that role for 10 years. Outside of politics, she helped found the Aberdeen Downtown Association, served for nearly 20 years on the Board of Directors of Homes Are Possible, Inc., and volunteered for Junior Achievement for 18 years. Jennifer Slaight-Hansen lives in Aberdeen with her two children and husband.
Larry Olsen
Larry OlsenTreasurer
Lorri May
Lorri MaySecretary
Deb Knecht
Deb KnechtNational Committeeperson
Dennis Olson
Dennis OlsonNational Committeeperson
Cecelia Fire Thunder
Cecelia Fire ThunderNational Committeewoman for Native Americans
Troy Heinert
Troy HeinertState Senate Minority Leader
Jamie Smith
Jamie SmithState House Minority Leader
Addison Miller
Addison MillerSouth Dakota Young Democrats President
South Dakota College Democrats President
Michael GrismerSouth Dakota High School Democrats Chair

State Central Committee

The State Central Committee is the main governing body of the SDDP.

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Elected Officials

Find Democratic elected officials serving South Dakota now.

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Staff

Learn more about our SDDP Staff members here.

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Executive Board

The SDDP Executive Board works directly with the state party chair and party staff to review and recommend policy and procedures to the body of the State Central Committee. The executive board consists of the SDDP Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer, along with two National Committeepersons, National Committeewoman for Native Americans, Young Democrats president, College Democrats president, Democratic legislative leaders and fourteen regional representatives.

Regional representatives are elected to two-year terms in regional caucuses at the State Central Committee meeting following county party elections in odd-numbered years (typically held in conjunction with McGovern Day).

REGION 1

Districts 1, 2, 3, 22, 23

Shane Milne

Jennifer Keintz

REGION 2

Districts 4, 5, 6, 8, 25

Mary Perpich

Travis Wicks

REGION 3

Districts 9, 10, 11, 14, 15

Sheldon Osborn

Sharon Schulz-Elsing

REGION 4

Districts 6, 12, 13, 16, 17

Jessica Meyers

Joseph Zweifel

REGION 5

Districts 18, 19, 20, 21, 26

Alexandra Frederick

Frank Kloucek

REGION 6

Districts 24, 27, 28, 29, 30

Amanda Bachmann

Remi Bald Eagle

REGION 7

Districts 31, 32, 33, 34, 35

Sandra White Shield

Jay Davis