David Barranco

UPDATE: What do we know about David Barranco?

l3wis April 2, 2022 1Comments

Sioux Falls City Council Candidate David Barranco has said very little about his past during the campaign, which I find bizarre considering he has only lived here a short period of time. Since then (mostly Republicans) have been reaching out to me and their regret in supporting this person initially. There has even been a sitting city councilor questioning their past support. I have encouraged them to reach out to Cody Ingle, get to know him and even better, cut him a donation check.

While I have heard a myriad of rumors, it’s been hard tracking down or verifying some of the accusations. What is mostly surprising from this Texas attorney and textbook author is the several gaps in his professional life that seem to have just disappeared from the internets.

This is what we know so far;

• Moved with his family in the Spring of 2018 to Sioux Falls from San Antonio, TX after selling his home there. Barranco has never given a reason why he decided to leave Texas because . . .

• Has never applied for or attained a SD Bar License and still maintains his practice in the state of Texas where he has his law license.

UPDATE: Someone mentioned to me today that maybe the reason he hasn’t applied for a SD Bar License is because he doesn’t want to submit himself to a background check. This doesn’t mean looking into his personal criminal history or finances but the cases he has handled and his record as an attorney.

• It was discovered in September of 2021 he was past due on his first installment of property taxes.

• He has had two campaign events where he has given away entertainment to kids of supporters.

What I would really love to hear from Mr. Barranco is why did he move to South Dakota if he really has NO intent to practice law here? His wife, as far as I can tell, isn’t pursuing a career here either though she has experience in the corporate world.

While I certainly could care less that David has only lived here 4 years and is interjecting partisan politics in a city race, I will defend his right to run for office, but it would be really nice to know what brought him here and why the sudden interest in local politics and legislating when you don’t make a single dime in this town?

Many have been asking the question. When will our media?

The very Peculiar David Barranco

l3wis March 30, 2022 9Comments

Up until this point, the only really thing we knew about Mr. Barranco (who is a candidate in the SE district for the Sioux Falls City Council) is that he fears the boogey man called socialism and he tries to buy votes with go-cart and intertube rides.

But when you start digging around you begin to wonder if his campaign and (family) life in Sioux Falls is all a charade? What are they really doing here? And why does his city council campaign face seem so different than his face from the past?

The first thing several people (lawyers) have questioned is why doesn’t Barranco have a law license in South Dakota? I guess he hasn’t ever applied. He currently holds a license in Texas where his clients are and makes no income in South Dakota. Then why leave Texas for South Dakota? I guess you would have to ask him.

And while David tries to play the Trumper card, he seems to be a wine and cheese lib at heart and apparently a well known author;

In 1993, David was named UT’s most outstanding liberal arts student; in 1997 he won the Willie Morris Award, which recognizes a superlative “call to intellectualism, vigorous defense of civil liberties, and overall pursuit of excellence.”

Mr. Barranco is especially proud of his SPLC Wall of Tolerance commendation — an award affording him the opportunity to shake hands with a true American hero, Rosa Parks.

The MacArthur Foundation granted David a 2004 Post-Graduate Fellowship in Public Policy.

With all these accolades, you kind of scratch your head a bit and ask why none of this stuff is mentioned on his website or in forums? He likes to talk mostly about dog parks and football.

You also have to scratch your head a little about the life experiences of his wife Catherine who currently doesn’t work at all;

Because it had been her ambition since childhood to attend Harvard College, she applied for early-decision admission to the top-ranked school, got in and never filled out another college application. Not surprisingly, her choice worked out well for her. “I knew Harvard had history and traditions as well as a quality education, with students you could learn from,” says O’Gorman. “You can study down by the river in Cambridge, and in 10 minutes you can be in Boston, having Ethiopian food or going to the ballet.” At Harvard, O’Gorman remained an outstanding student, making the Dean’s List each semester and graduating magna cum laude.

So you attend Harvard, worked as an executive with Walmart, then move to South Dakota and become a house wife after a short stint with the SD GOP with a mysterious departure?

There is something very peculiar about the Barrancos to go from Wine and Cheese Texans to Beer and Chislic South Dakotans. If I had a resume like either one of these folks, wouldn’t you tell people about it while running for office? Maybe he is on a secret mission to destroy local government from within? Wait, someone is already doing that 🙂

If Barranco really is an intellectual he will be bored to death serving on the city council.