Current Officers

Chairman:  Tom Brunner

Vice Chair:  Dusta Ismay

Secretary:  Cody Skogberg

Treasurer:  Ken Wetz

Office Location:

PO Box 204
Newell, SD 57760

Mission Statement

The mission of the Butte County Republican Central Committee is to recruit, develop, support, and elect republicans to serve in political office. To pursue our mission we will build the organizational infrastructure that: aggressively registers Republican voters; thoroughly informs and educates our community on Republican principles; provide vigilant support for fair elections; vigorously advances Republican ideas and causes in Butte County; efficiently fundraises to support our initiatives; maintains proper stewardship and accountability of all contributions; and constructively coordinates with the goals and objectives of the South Dakota Republican Party.

The Republican Party Platform

A Brief Overview

Restoring the American Dream

Rebuilding the Economy & Creating Jobs • Fair and Simple Taxes for Growth • A Competitive America • A Wining Trade Policy • Freeing Financial Markets • Responsible Homeownership and Rental Opportunities • Advocating for Clean Water, Safe Roads, Rail, Bridges, Ports & Airports • Partner with Individualsand Industries in Technological Progress • Transparency and Accountability in the Federal Reserve • Workplace Freedom for a 21st Century Workforce • Reducing the Federal Debt 

A Rebirth of a Constitutional Government

Reaffirming the Constitution’s Fundamental Principles of Limited Government, Separation of Powers, Individual Liberty and The Rule of Law  •  Defending Against Activist Judiciary •  Defending Religious Liberty • Defending Constitutionally-Protected Speech • Defending our Right to Keep and Bear Arms • Affirming our Right to Liberty and Privacy Against Unreasonable Searches & Seizures • Protecting Human Life • Protecting Private Property • Protecting Intellectual Property Rights • Maintaining our Retained Rights • Affirming Federalism as the Foundation of Personal Liberty • Affirming our Support of the Electoral College •  Supporting Honest Elections and the Right to Vote

America’s Natural Resources: Agriculture, Energy & the Environment

Support for Agricultural Production & Exports • Promoting Economic Growth While Protecting the Environment •  Supporting the Development of All Forms of Energy in a Free Economy without Subsidies • Supporting Conservation and Stewardship of our Natural Resources • Incentivizing Human Ingenuity in the Development of New Technolgoies

Government Reform

Making Government Work for the People • Balancing the Budget • Preserving Medicare and Medicaid • Saving Social Security • Protecting Internet Freedom • Ensuring our Immigration Policies Serve the National Interest • Reforming the Treaty System • Abolishing the IRS • Auditing the Pentagon • Improving the Federal Workforce • Advancing Term Limits • Establishing a Regulatory Budget to Cap Costs Imposed by Federal Agencies • Fighting Against Crony Capitalism • Honoring our Relationships with American Indians  •  Supporting our U.S. Territories • Preserving the District of Columbia

Great American Families, Education, Healthcare and Criminal Justice

Supporting American Values • Supporting Marriage, Family and Civil Society • Removal of Over-regulation of Start-Up Enterprises, Excessive Licensure and Needless Restrictions on Formation of Schools and Daycare Centers • Advocating for School Choice • Supporting Parental Rights to Direct their Childrens’ Education Care & Upbringing • Academic Excellence for All  • Supporting the Original Meaning of Title IX • Improving Higher Education • Working to Reduce College Costs • Restoring Patient Control and Preserving Quality in Healthcare • Supporting Tort Reform • Protecting Individual Conscience in Healthcare • Advancing Research and Development in Healthcare • Reforming the FDA • Advancing Americans with Disabilities • Criminal Justice and Prison Reform • Combatting Drug Abuse

America Resurgent

Support for the “Common Defense” of the United States • Advocating for Peace through Strength • Committing to Rebuild the U.S. Military •  Supporting our Troops • Standing by our Heroes • Supporting our National Guard and Reserves • Honoring and Supporting our Veterans • Affirming our Tradition of World Leadership • Restoring our International Credibility • Unequivocal Support for Israel • Leadership in the Asian Pacific • Renewing the European Alliance • Advancing North America’s Energy Independence • Affirming our Relationships with the Americas • Supporting Principled American Leadership in International Organizations • Defending International Religious Freedom • Advancing Human Rights • Combatting Human Trafficking • Advancing Cybersecurity

A History of Republicans

Prior to the founding of the Grand Ole Party (GOP), the Whig Party had become little more than a party of “me-too” democrats. In frustration with the Whig Party, the Republican Party was officially formed in the small town of Ripon, Wisconsin on March 20, 1854, as a coalition of anti-slavery Whigs and Democrats opposed to the Kansas–Nebraska Act, which opened Kansas Territory and Nebraska Territory to slavery and future admission as slave states, thus repealing the 34-year prohibition on slavery in territories north of the Mason–Dixon line.

This change was viewed anti-slavery members of Congress as an aggressive, expansionist maneuver by the slave-owning South.  In addition to supporting an anti-slavery platform, the Republican Party followed a platform based on economic modernization, a more open interpretation of the constitution, expanded banking, openness to new immigrants, and giving free western land to farmers as a way to discourage the spread of slavery to the Western territories.

Some highlights of the GOP’s history are:

1854

The Republican party is founded, on an anti-slavery platform.

1857

In a case of (Dred) Scott vs. Sandford, the court ruled that slaves aren’t citizens, they are property. The seven justices, voting in favor were Democrats, the two, who dissented were Republicans.

1863

Republican president Abraham Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation.

1863

Republican president Abraham Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation.

Republicans elect their first Hispanic Governor, Romualdo Pacheco, of California.

1865

Republicans pass the 13th Amendment, that permanently abolishes slavery.

1868

Republicans pass the 14th Amendment, giving blacks citizenship. It was opposed by the Democrats.

Republicans pass the 15th Amendment, giving blacks the right to vote. No Democrat supported it.

1871

Republican president Ulysses S Grant dismantles the Ku Klux Klan (KKK).

1872

Republicans elect the first African American senators and representatives.

1878

Republican senator Aaron Sargent introduces the 19th Amendment, to give women the right to vote. The Democrat controlled Congress voted it out.

1919

Republican Congress passes the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing women the right to vote.

1929

Republican Octaviano Larrazolo becomes the first Mexican American Senator.

Republican Charles Curtis becomes the first Native American Vice President.

1954

Republican lawmakers outlawed segregation in public school, opposed by state Democrats. Republican president Eisenhower sent in federal troops to enforce the law.

1959

First Republican Asian Senator, Hiram Fong is elected.

1964

Democratic president President Johnson successfully runs an ad, titled “Confessions of a Republican”. Democrats learned that by accusing Republicans of racism, even without evidence, they can gain political power.

The Republican controlled Congress passes the 1964 Civil Rights Act, as an extension of the Republicans 1957 and 1960 Civil Rights Acts.  Democratic Senators filibustered the bill for a record 75 days.

The Democratic party claims that the Republicans are the racists today, because the parties “switched”, the racist Southern Democrats became Republican in 1964. There was no “party switching”, only two Democrats became Republicans, Miles Goodwin and Thurgood Marshall, who had a change of heart and switched back to being a democrat. Those, who were Republicans, remained Republicans.

Are You a Republican?

If you believe that little girls and boys have a right to life…

If you believe that you should be able to live your life, while respecting your neighbor’s right to live hers, free from government meddling…

If you believe that men and women should be able to pursue their own definition of happiness…

If you believe that working men and women should be able to keep more of their own paychecks…

If you believe that parents should be able to choose the best possible education for their children…

If you believe in free speech, without censorship…

If you believe in election integrity and that a citizen’s vote is sacred and should not be diluted or stolen…

If you believe that the right to bear firearms is necessary to a free society…

If you believe that socialism, in all its forms, is incompatible with the American ideal…

If you believe that men and women should be able to practice their religion freely, while not endangering their neighbors…

If you believe that citizens should be free to peacefully assemble to express their grievances to the government…

If you believe that it is wrong for bureaucrats use the power of government to make you live in fear…

If you believe it is wrong for one group of people to “pay their fair share” for the benefit of another group of people (slavery)…

…YOU might be a REPUBLICAN!  If this is you, welcome home!