Barack Obama-South Dakota Organization

Barack Obama-Organization, South Dakota
updated June 3, 2008

OBAMA FOR AMERICA

Headquarters: 3314 S Valley View Road, Sioux Falls, SD 605-361-2988

State Director Nathan Peterson

(announced April 1, ,2008) Part of the Hildebrand Tewes Consulting, Inc. During the 2006 election cycle with Hildebrand Tewes, Peterson was deputy campaign manager and on-the-record spokesperson for the campaign that overturned South Dakota's total ban on abortions in 2006. He has successfully managed several local school bond and opt-out elections, conducted multiple state-wide initiative and referendum petition drives and worked as the South Dakota organizer/spokesperson for the National Environmental Trust. In 2004, prior to joining Hildebrand Tewes, Peterson was U.S. Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle's campaign scheduler and personal aide. He played an important role in the implementation of the field strategy on Sen. Tim Johnson's re-election campaign in 2002. Peterson is an enlisted member of the Air National Guard; pursuing a Masters degree in communications.

Deputy State Director

Matt McGovern

McGovern is an attorney from Rapid City and former law clerk for the U.S. District Court, South Dakota District. He is active in the South Dakota Democratic Party and Pennington County Democratic Party. In 2006, he worked for the Billion for Governor campaign. Prior to law school, McGovern spent three years as an organizer and fundraiser for conservation groups. He is also the grandson of George and Eleanor McGovern.

Political Director

State Sen. Ben Nesselhuf

Nesselhuf has served the last eight years in the legislature representing district 17; he has lived for the last 21 years in Vermillion. Graduate of the University of South Dakota. Born in Rapid City, SD.

Field Director

Nathaniel Snyder

Snyder started with the Obama campaign in Las Vegas, NV as the at-large organizing director in July 2007. He has since served as deputy state director in Connecticut, targeting director in Wisconsin, and been through other primary states. In 2002 he organized the Jim River Valley for South Dakota Sen. Tim Johnson during his highly contested re-election campaign.

Communications Director

Kevin Griffis

Griffis started with the campaign as the South Carolina communications director, and has also worked in Virginia, Ohio and Mississippi. He previously worked as the communications director for Arizona U.S. Senate candidate Jim Pederson in 2006, communications director for the 2005 Virginia coordinated campaign, communications director for the Democratic Party of Virginia, and Nevada communications director for America Coming Together in 2004.

Press Secretary

Matt Lehrich

Deputy press secretary on Obama's PA primary campaign; started as assistant to the directors and multimedia producer on the NH primary campaign. Interned in Obama's Senate office. B.A. in political science and economics from Boston University. Grew up in Boston.

Director of Scheduling

Maggie Colleran Varilek

Research associate with Hildebrand Tewes Consulting in Sioux Falls; returned to her home state from Washington, DC in 2007. Worked for North Dakota Sen. Byron Dorgan, coordinating state and national scheduling. Field organizer on both Sen. Tom Daschle’s campaign in 2004 and Sen. Tim Johnson’s campaign in 2002. Graduate of the University of South Dakota. South Dakota native.

-national deputy campaign manager Steve Hildebrand is a Sioux Falls resident and a native of Mitchell.

-former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle is a key national advisor.

12 total offices including hdqtrs in Sioux Falls...
Aberdeen: 13 2nd Ave SE, Aberdeen

Brookings: 683 Faculty Dr, Brookings    ...grand opening May 22

Huron: 375 Dakota Ave. Ste. 108, Huron   ...grand opening May 21

Madison: 211 SE 4th St, Madison

Mitchell: 400 N. Main St., Mitchell   ...grand opening May 22

Pierre: 118 N. Garfield Ave., Pierre   ...grand opening May 21

Pine Ridge: Hwy 18, Old Dakota Plains Legal Services near Taco Johns, Pine Ridge

Rapid City: 1315 Haines Avenue Suite C, Rapid City

Spearfish: 240 E Kansas St., Spearfish ...grand opening May 21

Watertown: 100 S. Maple Street, Watertown

Yankton: 307 Pearl Street, Yankton

endorsements
U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson (Jan. 9, 2008)
U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (Feb. 26, 2008)
Public Utilities Commissioner Steve Kolbeck
George McGovern - the 1972 Democratic nominee, who represented South Dakota in the Senate from 1963-81, announced he was switching his support to Obama on May 6, 2008. He had endorsed Clinton in Iowa City on Oct. 6, 2007.

25 of the 35 Democratic state legislators (April 16, 2008)
Senator Julie Bartling
Senator Gary Hanson
Senator Scott Heidepriem (Senate Democratic Leader)
Senator Alan Hoerth
Senator Jim Hundstad
Senator Sandy Jerstad
Senator Tom Katus
Senator Frank Kloucek
Senator Ryan Maher
Senator Ben Nesselhuf
Senator Jim Peterson
Senator Nancy Turbak Berry
Senator Theresa Two Bulls
Representative Jim Bradford
Representative Quinten Burg
Representative H. Paul Dennert
Representative Richard Engels
Representative David Gassman
Representative Clayton Halverson
Representative Dale Hargens (House Democratic Leader)
Representative Larry Lucus
Representative Garry Moore
Representative Eldon Nygaard
Representative Bill Thompson
Representative Tom Van Norman

six tribal leaders (April 11, 2008 in Indian Country Today)
John Yellowbird Steele, president, Oglala Sioux Tribe
William ''Shorty'' Brewer, vice president, Oglala Sioux Tribe
Michael Jandreau, chairman, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe
Rodney Bordeaux, president, Rosebud Sioux Tribe
Robert Moore, councilman, Rosebud Sioux Tribe
Joseph Brings Plenty, chairman, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe

South Dakota Women for Obama Steering Committee (May 21, 2008)
U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, Honorary Chair
Linda Barker, Sioux Falls
Laura Beshara, Rapid City
Jean Beddow, Sioux Falls
State Sen. Nancy Turbak Berry, Watertown
Deb Billion, Sioux Falls
Lois Facer, Rapid City
Myrna Hunhoff, Yankton
A. Gay Kingman, Rapid City
Ann McGovern, Mitchell
Peggy Gordon Miller, Brookings
Cathy Piersol, Sioux Falls

six of South Dakota’s seven superdelegates have endorsed Obama:
U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson
Former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle
Sharon Stroschein, Democratic National Committeewoman
Nicholas Nemec, Democratic National Committeeman
Jack Billion, State Democratic Party Chairman