Shane Merrill is an American politician and political activist serving as chairman of the South Dakota Democratic Party since 2023. [1]
A member of the Democratic Party, Merrill served on the Parker, SD city council for one term, 2014-16 (the youngest ever elected) [2] and opted to run for the South Dakota State Senate in District 17 in 2016 at the age of 24. Merrill was defeated in a competitive race. [3]
In September 2023, Merrill was elected as chair of the South Dakota Democratic Party in a special election taking 94 percent of the vote of the State Central Committee, 77–2. [4] Prior to the election, he served as interim chair and vice chair.
Elected at age 31, he is one of the youngest state party chairs in the country. [5]
Merrill grew up in Parker, South Dakota on his family dairy farm and attended Parker High School. He served as the high school's FFA chairman in both his junior and senior years.
Merrill is a farmer, school bus driver, sports writer and baseball coach for his hometown. [6] He also calls local sports contests on Livticket.tv and serves as chairman of the Parker, SD Parks and Rec board. [7] As of 2023, Merrill represents Turner County on the SouthEast South Dakota Experiment Farm Board. [8]
He got his start in politics in 2010, volunteering on the Stephanie Herseth Sandlin campaign and locally the Tom Jones for District 17 campaign. [9] He served two terms on the state Democratic Party executive board 2017–2021.
His family has strong ties to Turner County, as his grandfather, Bob, was a county commissioner, school board member and Turner County Fair manager. [10] [11] His Father Allen was a school board member and served as chairman of the Midwest Dairy Association. [12]