State Representative Don Haggar is resigning his District 10 seat.
The Speaker Pro Tempore is vacating his spot for a position he says is a rare opportunity.
The now-former Representative is accepting a position to work as the state director for Americans for Prosperity in South Dakota. That group is a self-described grassroots organization funded by conservative billionaires, the Koch brothers.
Haggar represented District 10, which includes northeastern Sioux Falls, Brandon, Corson and Renner.
He says it was a difficult decision to leave the legislature. Haggar says Americans For Prosperity is an organization that reflects his values.
“Opposing taxes, supporting limited government, working to prevent over regulation of people and farmers and businesses, those are all values that, frankly, I ran on when I first ran for the legislatures. This will be an opportunity for me to work full time on those sorts of values.”
Haggar was elected to the state House of Representative in 2012. There, he served as Speaker Pro Tem, a position just under the Speaker of the House.
Haggar’s resignation creates a vacancy that Governor Dennis Daugaard must fill. Haggar leaves his seat on three summer study commissions, one on the initiative and referendum process, retirement laws, and State-Tribal relations.
A spokesperson for the Governor’s office says Daugaard hopes fill the by the end of the summer.
During the last election Americans for Prosperity spent over half a million dollars to defeat the voter approved Initiated Measure 22.