The final 2017 Sioux Falls School Board Race Final Finance Reports came in on July 18. With those reports in we can present the ‘REAL’ numbers of what was spent in the race. I am comparing the top two vote getters, Dobberpuhl and Mickelson.

 

Mickelson, 2,278 Votes. She spent $6.12 per vote

(Spent $13,944. She raised $21,504)

 

Dobberpuhl, 1,811 Votes. He spent $1.39 per vote

(Spent $2,524. He raised a little under $2,000)

 

I originally posted that Mickelson spent 7-10x more than Dobberpuhl, which was NOT TRUE and wanted to correct this with the final numbers.

Mickelson’s Final Report (PDF DOC: Mickelson-YearEnd Report) and First Report (PDF DOC: cyn-a11)

Dobberpuhl’s Final Report (PDF DOC: Dobberpuhl-Final)

I spoke to the School Board about the last school board election and not only raised concerns about how the election was handled (Lack of precincts, etc.) I suggested that there should be a spending cap of $5,000 for candidates. I think it is very hard for regular candidates to compete when their opponents outspend them in such a drastic way.

This, of course is according to her last financial report. It could be closer to $15 when the last financial report comes out, that is if Bev Chase decides to post it online. Big GOP money wins again, and I am sure they are not one bit to ashamed of it.

Mickelson would have been better off sending out $10 gift cards (probably shouldn’t give them any ideas).

Dobberpuhl spent about $2,400 or $1.32 per vote (2000 votes).

There was a 3.7% voter turnout.

As I have said before, I felt all candidates are qualified, but I do worry Mickelson and her donors want to turn our high schools into Vo-Techs to train carpenters and plumbers instead of preparing them for secondary education.

The CHOKEHOLD the Republican Party has on our state will now continue on the School Board. Now if more than 4% of the 90K registered voters in SF would have decided to show up.

FINAL RESULTS

There was also some ‘questionable’ things that went on during the campaign;

• One day before the election the Argus posted a ‘quiz’ online to determine the best candidate instead of just posting the bios/info of each candidate, many of the questions were geared towards Mickelson’s agenda. Then today, their website was plastered with Mickelson advertising.

• May 30 financial report was never posted online by the school district.

• There were NO voting centers in most of the northern part of the city, yet several in the more affluent Southside.

• KELO-TV had a cut video of Inside Keloland of the candidates that cut off Dobberpuhl’s interview.

Obviously, the planets would have had to align, but some of this stuff is a head-scratcher.

I would like to actually congratulate (Independent) Dobberpuhl for doing as well as he did against the DARK MONEY machine of the SD GOP, SD Chamber of Commerce, and SF Homebuilders Association. He held his own. I have a feeling if spending in the race would have been capped, he would have walked away with the honor tonight. Keep fighting Randy.

I would also like to congratulate Mickelson, she had a well-oiled machine behind her, and she threw everything but the kitchen sink at it. Huge donations, yard signs, direct mail, radio ads, bumper stickers and robo calls. If she were running for governor, her chances would be very good . . . oh that’s right . . .

I didn’t just wake up one morning supporting Randy for school board this time around. I supported Randy in ALL three of his races not because he is running against big money but because he is the BEST candidate.

Besides the fact that Randy is well versed in what goes on with the school district, his background in County government gives him the ears and eyes for how public education works, and for that matter what works. It also doesn’t hurt that Randy has two boys in the district and a wife who worked as a teacher and now an administrator.

His charity work is also impressive. It is not easy for a hardworking family man to take time away from his own family and busy professional life to help other children in our community. And while Randy may be humble or modest about his charitable work, he has an enormous heart.

What impresses me the most about Dobberpuhl is his determination. I met Randy several years ago when he first moved to Sioux Falls. He was working a part-time job (on top of a full-time job) to help support his family to get ahead. Living and striving for the American Dream.

Randy doesn’t come from ‘big money’ and he certainly doesn’t ride the coat tails of an established political party. Randy wants to be on the school board to HELP the children of this community grow and prosper. No hidden agenda.

Doesn’t it just seem a little odd to anyone that a district that has so many kids living in poverty (almost half on FREE or reduced lunches) that one of the people running for the job would raise a ridiculous amount of campaign money from the very donors who want to keep the status quo of cheap labor (they disguise as workforce development). These same donors are the ones who give their money year after year to the dominate political party in Pierre that has done NOTHING in over 40 years to advance or make public education better? And their lame brain attempt of raising regressive taxes on food doesn’t count. In fact, it was an account they tried to rob just one year after its implementation.

Dobberpuhl’s main opposition may claim to be ‘independent’ from her husband’s party politics, but her financial report tells a different story. Randy is an independent because he doesn’t play the games of the political parties, he just simply believes in doing the right thing for the community.

Randy doesn’t sleep in the bed of the anti-education party, and that is why he should be the easy choice on June 6th.

I’m still waiting to get the actual financial filing documents that the school board candidates had to file yesterday, but the early results are startling.

Mickelson seems to have the SF GOP behind her in fundraising (though she says she is independent from her husband). She has raised $20,000 and spent $7,800. Makes you wonder if a couple of invoices were held off until June 1st. Like I said before, her signage alone around town has to be close to $10-12K.

Dobberpuhl has raised around $2,000 and spent the entire amount.

Not sure if the other candidates have raised any or spent. I do know that Robinson does have some yard signs up and has given out printed handouts.

I expect a full on media push by Mickelson in this last week. Like I said, though the school board is a non-partisan race, the SD and SF GOP just can’t stand to let one of theirs lose, so they will outspend the other candidates, which seems at this point by ten-fold.

Pretty pathetic when voter turnout MIGHT hit 2,000 voters. Divide and conquer, the Republican way.

My name is Randy Dobberpuhl and I am running for School Board in Sioux Falls, SD. I would appreciate your vote on June 6th.

My family and I have lived in Sioux Falls since 2007. My wife, Kersten, has been in the education field since 2003 and has worked as a teacher, instructional coach, and is currently an administrative intern at Hayward Elementary. My two boys, Coulter and Ryder, attend Harvey Dunn Elementary and are involved in various activities throughout the year. I have been working in the Human Services field since 2001. I have worked with the Boys and Girls Club in Sisseton, SD, the South Dakota Developmental Center in Redfield, SD, Hospice of Havasu in Parker, AZ, and my current role is a case manager for the Safe Home Program here in Sioux Falls. We provide permanent housing to the chronically homeless individuals in our community and offer supportive services to help with any medical, mental health, or addiction needs.

I consider myself a committed community member and love volunteering at various agencies in our community. I currently volunteer as a mentor for the LSS mentor program, a big brother with the Big Brother Big Sister program, I co-chair the government division for United Way, and I have started a “Give It Back” group with our residents at Safe Home and we volunteer our time at the Humane Society and Feeding South Dakota on a weekly basis.

My reasons for running have not changed. I want to bring an independent/neutral set of eyes and ears to the board to allow parents, teachers, and community members an outlet for input. I will fight for access and equity for all our students. I see some areas of concerns with this right now especially with our ELL (English Language Learners) students and our lower income based families and students. Our district will be facing some serious challenges in the coming years such as boundaries, pre-k services, budget cuts, and increased behavior challenges in the classroom. I feel these challenges will need leadership that can focus on true solutions through active communication. I truly believe in Dr. Maher’s path and creativity with the district. He is going to need a board that has the ability to make some hard decisions through gathering input from all levels in our community. I am here to tell you that I am that person. I love listening and visiting with people, I love problem solving through respectful conversation, and I love seeking input. I believe in transparency and open communication. I would be honored to have your support and I hope to earn your vote in the next couple of months.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to any questions, comments, or concerns,

Randy Dobberpuhl

*Randy is the 3rd candidate to announce. Today was the filing deadline.