Longtime Minnehaha County lawman headed to Legislature
Gov. Kristi Noem picks Mike Walsh, former deputy Sheriff, for Rapid City Senate seat
A longtime South Dakota lawman has been appointed to the state Legislature.
Gov. Kristi Noem has tapped Mike Walsh to serve in the South Dakota Senate, filling the District 35 seat vacated last year by former Sen. Jessica Castleberry.
Walsh spent decades in the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Offices serving various roles that included captain and polygraph examiner before moving to the Black Hills following his retirement from law enforcement.
“Throughout my professional life, I have been inspired by a belief that government exists solely to benefit the lives of citizens,” Walsh said. “I bring to this role a well-rounded background in public service, including years of experience in both law enforcement and the United States Marine Corps, my chairmanship of a regional nonprofit, and relationships with local government.”
Since retiring from the sheriff’s office in Minnehaha, Walsh has served as South Dakota Fraternal Order of Police president and owns a polygraph examiners business based in Rapid City.
Walsh told The Dakota Scout he will resign from the FOP president position in order to avoid any perception of conflict, and he intends to get started as a lawmaker this week.
“I intend to be out there Wednesday to jump right in,” said Walsh, who assumes the position after Castleberry was forced to step down amid a conflict of interest investigation after her daycare business accepted state funds through a program she voted on as a legislator. “This district not having anyone there for the first four weeks of session has not been beneficial so I want to get out there and get to work right away.”
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Walsh’s appointment rounds out the last of two vacancies Noem was tasked with filling. On Saturday, the Governor appointed former House lawmaker Kristin Conzet to a position created when Rep. Jess Olson resigned last year. Noem had indicated that she would not fill those vacancies until the Supreme Court issued an advisory opinion on what types of financial conflicts involving state lawmakers rose to constitutional violations.
There was some concern that Walsh’s business, which works with local and county governments, could have created a violation. However, the Court ruled Friday that financial interactions between lawmakers and the state or counties in which funds are generally authorized in the Legislature’s annual budget bill — and not through special appropriations — are not constitutional violations.
In announcing his appointment, Noem said Walsh’s experience in public service and his ongoing relationship with the public made him a top candidate to fill the seat.
“I am excited to appoint Mike to this role,” said Noem. “He has a well-rounded background in public service, and I am confident he will be able to address South Dakota’s most important issues as District 35’s new Senator.”
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