A familiar name was dropped in the 2014 race for U.S. Senate from South Dakota. Rick Weiland ran unsuccessfully for the lone SD house seat twice. Once in 1996 and again in 2002. During his first race, he made the claim to be a REAL Democrat. Visitors to the office of EE Hinkle, our Publisher's grandfather could not help but notice the photo of Mr. Weiland and Tom Dashcle with that bold claim that was sent to EE from the Weiland campaign the first time around when Weiland was accusing his primary opponent of not being a genuine Democrat. He won that primary, but we can't say the same about his primary with Stephanie Herseth Sandlin in 2002.

     Weiland is, thus far the only democrat to announce that he is in fact running for senate. SHS will give an answer later this month, but it appears that Brendan Johnson may not be interested in keeping his father's Senate seat in the family.