Friend,

When folks see me out on the campaign trail, living out of my camper and running against a 32-year incumbent, they usually ask me the exact same question:

"Brian, you served 26 years in the military. Why didn't you just enjoy your retirement?"

The truth is, I tried to.

After I retired as an Air Force JAG, I put on a different kind of uniform. I became a Wind Cave National Park Ranger right here in South Dakota. I took that job because I love and believe in our public lands. The Black Hills, the Badlands, and our national forests are the crown jewels of this country.

I thought my days of government were behind me. I just wanted to protect our land and share it with the next generation.

Then, DOGE happened.

I watched firsthand from the ground as the D.C. Country Club intentionally gutted the National Park Service and the National Forest Service. I watched them slash budgets to the bone and force out dedicated public servants.

The Washington swamp is starving these agencies on purpose so that when the parks inevitably struggle, they can throw their hands up and say they have no choice but to "privatize" them. It is a calculated scheme to chop up South Dakota's public lands and sell them off to corporate developers and out-of-state billionaires.

And while this assault on our state's natural heritage was happening, our incumbent Senator, Mike Rounds, stayed completely silent to protect the party bosses.

That was the day I realized I couldn't just stand by. I took off my Ranger uniform, and I decided to run for the United States Senate as an Independent.

Will you chip in $10, $25, or $50 today to help me fight back against the privatization of our public lands and replace Mike Rounds in the Senate?

Thank you for being on this team.

Brian Bengs
Lt Col, USAF JAG Corps (Ret.)
Independent Candidate for U.S. Senate

DONATE »