Merrill in 2023

Shane Merrill is an American politician and political activist serving as chairman of the South Dakota Democratic Party since 2023.[1]

A member of the Democratic Party, Merrill served on the Parker, SD city council for one term, 2014-16 (the youngest ever elected)[2] and opted to run for the South Dakota State Senate in District 17 in 2016 at the age of 24. Merrill was defeated in a competitive race.[3]

In September 2023, Merrill was elected as chair of the South Dakota Democratic Party in a special election taking 94 percent of the vote of the State Central Committee, 77–2.[4] Prior to the election, he served as interim chair and vice chair.

Elected at age 31, he is one of the youngest state party chairs in the country.[5]

Early life

Merrill grew up in Parker, South Dakota on his family dairy farm and attended Parker High School. He served as the high school's FFA chairman in both his junior and senior years.

Career

Merrill is a farmer, school bus driver, sports writer and baseball coach for his hometown.[6] He also calls local sports contests on Livticket.tv and serves as chairman of the Parker, SD Parks and Rec board.[7] As of 2023, Merrill represents Turner County on the SouthEast South Dakota Experiment Farm Board.[8]

He got his start in politics in 2010, volunteering on the Stephanie Herseth Sandlin campaign and locally the Tom Jones for District 17 campaign.[9] He served two terms on the state Democratic Party executive board 2017–2021.

His family has strong ties to Turner County, as his grandfather, Bob, was a county commissioner, school board member and Turner County Fair manager.[10][11] His Father Allen was a school board member and served as chairman of the Midwest Dairy Association.[12]

References

  1. ↑ SDDP. "Our People". South Dakota Democrats. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  2. ↑ staff, Dakota News Now (2023-09-19). "SD Democrats select new leadership". www.dakotanewsnow.com. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  3. ↑ "Shane Merrill". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  4. ↑ "South Dakota Democratic Party removes interim from Shane Merrill's title, make him leader of troubled state party". The South Dakota Standard. 2023-09-17. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  5. ↑ Goss, Austin. "South Dakota Democratic Party picks new leadership following recall of prior chairwoman". www.thedakotascout.com. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  6. ↑ "Parker Blue wins 2021 League Tourney | The New Era". 2023-11-15. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  7. ↑ "Home Parker Parks and Recreation". Parker Parks and Rec. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  8. ↑ "SDSU Southeast Research Farm | South Dakota State University". www.sdstate.edu. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  9. ↑ "Local farmer tapped to lead South Dakota Democratic Party | The New Era". 2023-11-15. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  10. ↑ "Ag United :: August Featured Farmer - Merrill Family". agunited.org. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  11. ↑ "Amid county funding struggles, Turner County Fair keeps beating the odds". South Dakota News Watch. 2023-08-24. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
  12. ↑ MidwestDairyAdmin (2019-04-04). "Midwest Dairy Elects Leadership". Midwest Dairy. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
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