Gant seeks a turnaround in secretary of state office

• Jason Gant

Jason Gant

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PIERRE — With the hires of a new deputy and a new state elections supervisor, South Dakota Secretary of State Jason Gant moved forward this week on changing key personnel in an office that has made gains in digital technology for conducting elections and record-filing, but struggled at times since Gant began 19 months ago.

Pat Miller, a former first lady who is married to former Gov. Walter Dale Miller, will serve as Gant’s deputy. Both are Republicans. Miller replaces operations director Pat Powers, who resigned last month amid an investigation by the attorney general.

Sue Roust, who retired at the end of 2010 after 20 years as Minnehaha County auditor, will serve as elections supervisor through the November elections. She is a Democrat. She replaces Aaron Lorenzen, who resigned Wednesday on the same day that Miller’s hiring was announced.

No evidence of criminal wrongdoing was found during the investigation by Attorney General Marty Jackley into the activities of Powers, who ran a political campaign business on the side with Gant’s knowledge until May, when Gant asked him to cease.

In both cases this week Gant, 35, turned to familiar, more experienced people in Miller and Roust as the office’s new faces.

Miller said she and Gant worked together on matters involving the South Dakota State Historical Society Foundation, of which she’s been the director.

Roust was a mentor of sorts for Gant in election issues during his six years in the Legislature, despite being in different political parties.

Among the reforms Gant has worked to bring to the office are more Internet access to information and more digital filing of reports, applications and forms by corporations, candidates, lobbyists, business people and others.

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