South Dakota Republican Senator Quits Race Over Alleged Petition Fraud
South Dakota state Sen. Tom Pischke (R-Dell Rapids) ended his reelection campaign on July 22, 2026, citing pending felony charges that he says would prevent him from running with “complete transparency.” He has represented District 25, which covers Moody County and part of Minnehaha County, for 10 years.
Prosecutors charged Pischke with two felony counts after alleging he submitted 16 candidate petitions for Minnehaha County Republican precinct committee positions without the named candidates’ knowledge. Filing false or forged election documents is a felony under South Dakota law. Pischke has pleaded not guilty.
“I have always prided myself on conducting campaigns with complete transparency on every issue. Unfortunately, I would not have been able to maintain that standard during the upcoming November election.”
Sen. Tom Pischke, statement to South Dakota Searchlight, July 2026
The charges connect to a long-running leadership dispute inside the Minnehaha County Republican Party. Obtaining a quorum for county party meetings requires 20% of voting members. Prosecutors allege Pischke filed petitions to fill precinct positions without consent, which would have made it harder for current party leaders to assemble a quorum.
Lawyers in the case have said a plea deal is possible.
One Open Seat, a Tight Deadline, and One Candidate on the Ballot
Pischke’s withdrawal leaves District 25 without a Republican candidate for the November 3, 2026 general election. Republican county party central committee members who live in the district have until August 11 to name a replacement. If they miss that window, the seat becomes a two-candidate race by default.
Bryan Breitling, an independent from Dell Rapids, is currently the only candidate on the ballot for the District 25 Senate seat. That gives Breitling a structural advantage regardless of who Republicans select in the next three weeks.
South Dakota is not the only state where election-related charges are landing on sitting legislators. A separate felony case is pending against Rep. Travis Ismay (R-Newell), who faces charges for allegedly causing intentional damage to a public road, with a court appearance scheduled this week in Butte County.
What You Can Do Now
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Call the South Dakota Secretary of State’s office at (605) 773-3537 and ask what safeguards exist for verifying petition signatures before certifying candidates. Pischke’s case exposed a gap: 16 forged petitions were submitted before anyone caught it.
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Contact your own state legislators through the National Conference of State Legislatures legislator lookup and ask whether your state requires notarized consent from petition candidates before certifying their names.
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Track the Minnehaha County Republican Party’s replacement process. The August 11 deadline is weeks away. South Dakota Searchlight (southdakotasearchlight.com) is covering the selection. Sign up for their alerts to know who ends up on the ballot before early voting opens.
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Check your own voter registration at vote.gov before the South Dakota general election on November 3, 2026. Voter rolls shift in the months before elections, and confirming your registration now takes two minutes.
Sources
South Dakota Searchlight: Pischke Ends Reelection Campaign Amid Felony Election Charges South Dakota Searchlight: Dell Rapids Republican Lawmaker May Get Plea Deal in Election Fraud Case South Dakota Legislature: District 25 Senate Seat Information South Dakota Secretary of State: Candidate Petition Requirements