A friend of mine recently sent me this article identifying that our two Democrat state legislators from District 27, State Senator Red Dawn Foster and State House Representative Peri Pourier decided to turn their backs against their own voters and the members of the Democratic caucus before the start of the 100th legislative session in Pierre. It is offensive that Foster and Pourier both took advantage of their Democratic colleagues and the voters living within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation by taking thousands of dollars from their own political party, using the Native vote, and then performing an about-face after they won their elections. You can read the full story here: https://kbhbradio.com/native-democrat-legislators-break-off-from-party-caucus-in-2025/
In the 2024 election cycle, the Pennington County Democrats donated $1,700 to Pourier's State House campaign committee and $500 to Foster's State Senate campaign committee. Moreover, Red Dawn Foster took in an additional $6,000 in campaign contributions from the Political Action Committee (PAC) “The Majority Project.” This PAC is a shell for the outgoing incumbent State Senate Minority Leader Reynold Nesiba, a Democrat, from District 15 (Sioux Falls). According to “The Majority Project” website, the main purpose of his PAC is “Electing and Supporting SD Senate Democrats.” Combined, the two legislators took in $8,200 from the Democrat Party. Both incumbent candidates continue to run on the Democratic ticket in District 27. Pourier garnered 3,451 votes to earn a fourth term in the State House and Foster garnered 3,807 votes to squeak out a fourth term win to the State Senate. Shortly after their election, they snubbed their Democratic caucus members in both chambers and are now "caucusing" with the South Dakota Republican super majority in Pierre, based on the latest assigned seating arrangement. See the charts below:
During my 2024 campaign bid for state senate, I had the opportunity to meet both of our elected Democrat legislators at a candidate forum in Wall on October 1, 2024. Peri Pourier said in one of her speeches, "I will fight for my people!" After the forum was over, the candidates mingled in the hallway of the Wall Community Center. I approached Peri since words matter and I and asked her the following question: "What did you mean when you said, I will fight for my people?" She hesitated and began to back paddle as I pressed her as to what she meant by "my people." Apparently, she was only referencing the Lakota people and does not care about her non-Indian constituents living within District 27. She later exclaimed, "Well, I mean 'all the people' of District 27." Of course, Red Dawn didn't say anything when I approached Peri about this as she stood quietly beside her.
It just goes to prove how Peri and Red Dawn are both corrupt at the core. Neither cares for their constituents. They merely take the salary of a legislator, grab the money from their political party, take advantage of the Native vote, and then turn around and backstab the people that put them into the office now that they are "caucusing" with the Republican super majority. It is long overdue that after their terms in both chambers that these two elected legislators be "put out to pasture" as we say in Western South Dakota. Since both are term-limited in their respective chambers, it is without a doubt that they will switch roles and run for each other's elected office in 2026 as Democrats since identity politics is a big factor within the reservation community. Neither of the two live within the boundaries of the reservation but they will continue to run with the "D" branded behind their name to use the Native vote again. However, both are not fit for office and are too corrupt to be elected for another term in the South Dakota State Legislature. Much like the rot that is being exposed by Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), it is my hope that the voters of District 27 in 2026 will wake up and say enough is enough with the corruption.
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