Sen. John Wiik elected South Dakota GOP chairman

Big Stone City lawmaker avoids upset from Thomas Brunner

Legislator John Wiik has been tapped to lead South Dakota’s dominant political party through the next General Election.

The Republican senator from Big Stone City edged former state Rep. Thomas Brunner, a long-time legislator from Butte County who entered the intrigue-filled chairmanship contest last week, during a South Dakota GOP State Central Committee meeting in Pierre Saturday.

Wiik received 103 votes to Brunner’s 66.

Wiik succeeds outgoing GOP Chairman Dan Lederman, who had held the position since 2016. Lederman, along with Gov. Kristi Noem and nearly every other statewide elected official, endorsed Wiik.

NEWS: South Dakota GOP committee rejects bylaw changes, preserves nomination process