HURON – Tatewin Means and Randy Seiler would push for more prevention and treatment options for those abusing methamphetamine.
And as South Dakota’s next attorney general, each would focus on helping child and adult victims of sexual abuse.
But the candidates say voters must also elect more Democrats like themselves up and down the November ballot in order for the state to begin returning to a more balanced political system that has been lopsided for way too long.
Means and Seiler, who addressed the District 22 Democratic Forum Thursday, are seeking the Democratic nomination for attorney general at the South Dakota Democratic Party State Convention June 15-16 in Sioux Falls.
“It’s time that we truly have a representative democracy,” Means said. “It’s time for South Dakota to even those scales of justice, to be more inclusive in its government.”
Seiler agrees.
“When we just have a one-party system in Pierre without the benefit of a different perspective, we lose,” he said.
Means has served as attorney general for the Oglala Sioux Tribe. She now chairs the graduate studies program at Oglala Lakota College. She grew up in Kyle on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and graduated from Rapid City Central High School before going on to Stanford University and the University of Minnesota School of Law.
When people think of Indian Country and Pine Ridge, a lot of negative statistics regarding extreme poverty and high rates of substance abuse come to mind, she said.
“But my experience living there, working there, is far different,” Means said. “I’m a product of my people and my home and where I come from. I’ve lived my entire life to defy those statistics and negative stereotypes. My campaign is just a continuation of that.”
She said she has a lifetime of experience in overcoming obstacles and removing barriers.

“My entire life I’m used to being the underrepresented person in the room,” she said.
Means says she asks people to be cognizant of the labels they put on others pertaining to gender, age and race, whether it’s implicit or explicit, and work to move forward.
“That’s truly how we will improve our system, our institutions, our educational system if we’re able to recognize those,” she said.
Means said she wants to be a voice for those who have been silent.
“I don’t like to say a voice for the voiceless because we know that we’ve always had a voice, we’ve always tried to get our voice heard. It’s just that it’s been ignored for far too long.”
Means said her priorities in office would include eliminating bias in the justice system, addressing child sexual abuse, focusing on prevention rather than being reactionary in terms of addiction to alcohol and drugs, making sure law enforcement officers uphold protections for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault and protecting the environment for future generations.
Seiler spent 22 years with the U.S. Attorney’s office. He is a graduate of the University of South Dakota School of Law.
“I’ve been involved in every aspect of our criminal justice system in terms of holding individuals who harm us, who injure us, who sexually abuse children, holding them responsible and accountable for their actions,” he said.
“I’ve walked into a courtroom holding the hand of a seven-year-old little girl who’d been sexually abused by her mother’s boyfriend,” Seiler said.
“And putting that little child on the stand and asking her to talk about personal and private things as to what happened to her, in front of 12 South Dakotans, that changes you and it impacts you,” he said.
He said he is not in favor of mandatory minimum sentences because he doesn’t think putting more people in jail for minor drug offenses is the solution.
South Dakota is the only state that makes ingestion of methamphetamine a Class 5 felony, he said.
Seiler said he has legal experience on the state, federal and tribal levels, and has transcended the politics of Republicans and Democrats in terms of public service.
“I think when you look at candidates that can win in November that’s very important,” he said.
The methamphetamine epidemic is a major priority.
“We have to do something about methamphetamine treatment and recovery,” Seiler said.
Medicaid expansion is not just about providing medical services, but has so much potential because it could fund treatment, he said.
Seiler also said he would return transparency and ethics while eliminating conflicts of interest if elected the next attorney general.

Shown first is Randy Seiler.

And next is Tatewin Means.