By Denise Ross

Mel Olson is now on the Mitchell City Council. Alan Hanks was just re-elected mayor of Rapid City. We hear often of Kermit Staggers’ antics on the Sioux Falls City Council. Ed McLaughlin used to be mayor of Rapid City. Mark Kirkeby went from the Pennington County Commission to the statehouse. Before Jerry Apa was a state budget hawk, he was raising hell on the Lawrence County Commission - and was a regular in the audience at the Lead City Commission. Tom Nelson is still the mayor of Lead. Tom Hennies is on Rapid City’s planning commission.

There seems to be a trend among some state lawmakers. It seems more natural to me to go from local to state, but there are plenty who go the other way, too. What other former state lawmakers have found a home in local politics? I know I’m missing folks; my powers are limited.

I’ll update this post with answers as they come in.

UPDATE: Michael Schumacher writes in to point out that Lou Sebert is mayor of Mitchell. I shoulda remembered that one.

 AND Larry Mann writes in to point out the all-too-obvious - Dave Munson, mayor of the largest city in the state, served several years in the Legislature.

So now I’m feeling a little, uh what’s the word, dumb, but this does illustrate a trend, no?

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