A familiar face is back at the helm of the South Dakota Democratic Party.
The party has rehired Dan Ahlers to be executive director, according to a press release the party sent Wednesday.
Ahlers is a business owner and former state legislator from Dell Rapids.
He was initially hired for the position in May, but he resigned after just a few months over disagreements with then-party chair Jennifer Slaight-Hansen.
The party voted to remove Slaight-Hansen in August following accusations of violating the party constitution and creating a hostile work environment.
"We are happy to have Dan officially back as the executive director," said Democratic Party Chair Shane Merrill, who replaced Slaight-Hansen. "Dan and I have a shared vision for our state party of reaching out to Democrats, Independents and moderates to build a stronger party. Our renewed focus on rural South Dakota as well as bringing more folks to the table is imperative. Dan is a proven former legislator who could work across the aisle to get things done for his district and the state. He knows what it takes to win in a tough district. He is the right person for the job at this critical time in our state."
