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man Ben Nesselhuf said his party has spent 18 months developing a plan to target campaign spending in a way that will counter the GOP's ability to raise more money in a heavily Republican state.
• "They can go ahead and outspend us. That's fine. We're going to spend our money smarter," Nesselhuf said Thursday.
• South Dakota Democrats are gathering in Aberdeen this weekend for their state convention. They will hear a speech from Matt Varilek, the party's candidate for South Dakota's lone U.S. House seat, and will nominate candidates for

two seats on the state Public Utilities Commission.
• Republicans hold their state convention in Sioux Falls next week.
• Democrats hope they'll be helped by two ballot measures giving voters a chance to pass judgment on laws passed by the Republican-dominated Legislature. One sets aside money for grants to large construction projects. A plan to give bonuses to top teachers, establish scholarships to recruit teachers into critical fields and phase out teacher tenure also is expected to be referred by the South Dakota Education Association, which is collecting signatures to put it on the ballot.
• Democrats opposed both measures, which were suggested by Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard. The minority party has argued the money in both measures should instead be spent to boost state aid to school districts.
• State Rep. Bernie Hunhoff of Yankton, the House minority leader, said the governor's plan to set aside money from a tax on construction to give grants to large construction projects will help Democratic candidates.
• "That's an issue that wasn't put on the ballot for political reasons, but it does work

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