Daugaard names Geddes man to District 21 state House seat

• Dave Scott

Dave Scott

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PIERRE — Gov. Dennis Daugaard will appoint Dave Scott, of Geddes, to represent District 21 in the South Dakota House of Representatives.

Sen. Cooper Garnos, of Presho, officially resigned Wednesday as the state senator from District 21. His departure fulfills an announcement he made this summer after landing a new job as principal of Lyman High School and Presho Elementary School.

Daugaard had previously announced that he will appoint Rep. Kent Juhnke, of Vivian, to replace Garnos in the Senate.

Scott will take Juhnke’s place in the House. All three men are Republicans.

“I am pleased to appoint Dave Scott to the state Legislature,” Daugaard said. “Dave is a leader in his community and a leader in our state on issues relating to agriculture, transportation, and local government. He knows the value of a dollar and will bring a quiet, common-sense approach to Pierre.”

Scott said he will be a candidate in 2012. “That’s the plan right now,” he said Thursday.

Scott, 63, is a fourth-generation farmer in Charles Mix County and a lifelong resident of the Geddes area.

He is a 1970 graduate of South Dakota State University with a degree in general agriculture. He and his wife, Becky, have three adult children, one of whom farms with him.

Scott has served for 26 years as the township clerk for Jackson Township, and is a board member of the Association of Towns and Townships.

He is also that organization’s representative to the Local Transportation Assistance Program, which provides engineering assistance to small towns and townships. Scott served from 1994 to 2000 on the State Transportation Commission.

“I want to thank Gov. Daugaard for this opportunity,” Scott said. “I will be honored to go to Pierre to work on behalf of everyone in my district.”

District 21 includes Charles Mix, Brule, Buffalo, Lyman and Jones counties.

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