Pat passed away this week of natural causes. I have known Pat over the past few years meeting him at the ‘Anti-Forum’ Friday lunches at the former Lil Colinga. Pat had a big heart and would help anyone. One of his pastimes was delivering absentee ballots to shut-ins and the elderly who couldn’t get out to vote in person. From Pat’s WIKI page;
- 2008 When District 15 incumbent Democratic Representatives Kathy Miles ran for South Dakota Senate and Mary Glenski was term limited and both seats were left open, Kirschman ran in the three-way June 3, 2008 Democratic Primary and placed second with 682 votes (27.3%);[3] in the three-way November 4, 2008 General election Kirschman took the first seat with 3,132 votes (36.8%) ahead of Republican nominee Tamara Weis,[4] who had run for Senate in 2006.
- 2010 Kirschman and incumbent Republican Representative Vanderlinde were unopposed for the June 8, 2010 Democratic Primary,[5]but were challenged in the three-way November 2, 2010 General election, where Independent candidate Jenna Haggar took the first seat and Kirschman took the second seat with 1,858 votes (31.6%) ahead of incumbent Representative Vanderlinde.[6]
- 2012 With District 15 incumbent Representative Jenna Haggar redistricted to District 10, and incumbent Democratic RepresentativeMitch Fargen redistricted from District 8, Kirschman ran in the three-way June 5, 2012 Democratic Primary, and placed second with 361 votes (34.0%);[7] Kirschman and fellow Democratic nominee Karen Soli were unopposed for the November 6, 2012 General election, where Soli took the first seat and Kirschman took the second seat with 2,498 votes (45.22%).[8]
- 2014 With District 15 incumbent Representative Kirschman ran unopposed in the June 3, 2014 Democratic Primary, Kirschman and fellow Democratic nominee Karen Soli were unopposed for the November 4, 2014 General election, where Soli took the first seat and Kirschman took the second seat with 1,476 votes.[9]
- 2016 District 15 term limited incumbent Representative Kirschman ran in the June 7, 2016 two way Democratic Primary for State Senate, losing to Reynold F. Nesiba 697 votes to Kirschman’s 533 votes[10].