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Ep. 2: 'Throw the Bums Out'

SDPB

On the night he struck and killed a pedestrian on a highway, Jason Ravnsborg was driving home from a small-town political event. It was trips like these – driving hundreds of miles across the prairie only to shake a few hands – that his political life was built on.

The world of South Dakota politics is a small one. But even in this narrow ecosystem, Ravnsborg was unknown to many. Despite that, he overcame more experienced opponents and win one the state’s most powerful jobs.

In this episode of Short Walk, we take a look at Ravnsborg’s unexpected political rise.

Jason Ravnsborg delivers a speech during his campaign for South Dakota attorney general in 2018.
SDPB
Jason Ravnsborg delivers a speech during his campaign for South Dakota attorney general in 2018.

Lee Strubinger is SDPB’s Rapid City-based politics and public policy reporter. Lee is a two-time national Edward R. Murrow Award winning reporter. He holds a master’s in public affairs reporting from the University of Illinois-Springfield.