Forrest Foster
Forrest Foster (Republican Party) ran for election to the South Dakota State Senate to represent District 30. He lost in the Republican primary on June 4, 2024.
Foster completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Biography
Forrest Foster was born in Hot Springs, South Dakota. He earned a bachelor's degree from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in 2002. His career experience includes working as an engineer.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: South Dakota State Senate elections, 2024
General election
General election for South Dakota State Senate District 30
Amber Hulse defeated Bret Swanson in the general election for South Dakota State Senate District 30 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Amber Hulse (R)  | 74.4 | 11,216 |
 | Bret Swanson (D) | 25.6 | 3,868 | |
| Total votes: 15,084 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Bret Swanson advanced from the Democratic primary for South Dakota State Senate District 30.
Republican primary election
Republican primary for South Dakota State Senate District 30
Amber Hulse defeated incumbent Julie Frye-Mueller and Forrest Foster in the Republican primary for South Dakota State Senate District 30 on June 4, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Amber Hulse | 45.9 | 2,216 |
 | Julie Frye-Mueller | 42.5 | 2,048 | |
 | Forrest Foster | 11.6 | 560 | |
| Total votes: 4,824 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Foster in this election.
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Forrest Foster completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Foster's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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• Graduated from Hot Springs High School (’98) and SD School of Mines & Technology (’02 Mechanical Engineering). After my dad passed away in 2000, I continued college full-time, and made the Dean’s List while running the family farm. Upon graduating, I continued farming and calving for a neighbor until I accepted a job testing and balancing HVAC systems in Iowa and Nebraska. • I moved back to South Dakota in 2005 to be closer to family, managing apartments and storage units in Pierre, and returned to the Black Hills in 2008. After working in HVAC sales, I was hired as one of the original 12 employees for Caterpillar’s Black Hills Engineering Design Center (BHEDC) when Caterpillar was located in the business incubator on the SDSMT campus. • I’ve worked for Caterpillar for 13+ years as BHEDC has grown, in Drafting, Checking, Design Engineering, and as a Team Lead for multiple new production introduction programs. As a leader in my area, I continue to mentor newer engineers in my current Checking role. • Awarded a U.S. patent for a gear box design • Current small business owner, doing custom machining and gunsmithing work
• Not a politician, and not running a “traditional” campaign – instead, I’m taking a grassroots approach to meet people in the district, hear your concerns, and represent you in Pierre- What I Support:
• Fiscal Responsibility – government must be accountable to taxpayers • Taking care of Veterans and ensuring their medical needs are met • Second Amendment Rights and The Constitution • Solid jobs and careers in western South Dakota so our kids have the option to stay here
• Improving access to good-quality water, especially in western South Dakota - Why I’m Running: • To serve western South Dakota as a reasonable conservative voice in the Senate • To collaborate with peers to advance western South Dakota’s key priorities • I am the right legislator for District 30 because I have deep farm and ranch and professional experience in the district. I’m a different kind of legislator: I’m not a career politician, I truly care about people, and I will take a reasonable and thoughtful approach to this work as I have throughout my career.
- I welcome communication - District 30 constituents are welcome to contact me regarding their concerns and feedback on the issues. My diverse life experience makes me your best choice for District 30 Senate. I greatly appreciate your vote in the June 4 Primary Election.
• Property tax reform is a high priority
• Improving access to good-quality water, especially in western South Dakota
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2024 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on April 7, 2024
