{{short description|American politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Craig Tieszen | image = | state_house = South Dakota | district = 34th<ref name="SDL1">{{cite web |url= http://legis.sd.gov/Legislators/Legislators/MemberDetail.aspx?Member=446 |title= Representative Craig Tieszen |publisher= South Dakota Legislature |location= Pierre, South Dakota |accessdate= November 22, 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151212151842/http://legis.sd.gov/Legislators/Legislators/MemberDetail.aspx?Member=446 |archive-date= December 12, 2015 |url-status= dead }}</ref> | term_start = January 10 | term_end = November 23, 2017 | predecessor = David Lust | successor = Michael Diedrich | state_senate2 = South Dakota | district2 = 34th<ref name="SDL">{{cite web |url= http://legis.sd.gov/Legislators/Legislators/MemberDetail.aspx?Member=446 |title= Senator Craig Tieszen |publisher= South Dakota Legislature |location= Pierre, South Dakota |accessdate= January 28, 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140101201853/http://legis.sd.gov/Legislators/Legislators/MemberDetail.aspx?Member=446 |archive-date= January 1, 2014 |url-status= dead }}</ref> | term_start2 = January 2009 | term_end2 = January 10, 2017 | predecessor2 = Royal McCracken | successor2 = Jeffrey Partridge | birth_date = {{birth date|1949|10|24}} | birth_place = | death_date = {{death date and age|2017|11|23|1949|10|24}} | death_place = Rarotonga, Cook Islands | party = Republican | spouse = | children = | alma_mater = | profession = Chief of police | website = }}
'''Craig Tieszen'''<ref name="PVS">{{cite web |url= http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/103937 |title= Craig Tieszen's Biography |publisher= Project Vote Smart |accessdate= January 28, 2014}}</ref> (October 24, 1949 − November 23, 2017) was an American politician who was a Republican member of the South Dakota Senate, representing District 34 from January 2009 to January 2017, and represented District 34 in the South Dakota House of Representatives from January 2017 to his death 10 months later.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sdlegislature.gov/legislators/historical_listing/LegislatorDetail.aspx?MemberID=3817|title=SDLRC - Craig Tieszen|website=www.sdlegislature.gov|accessdate=25 November 2017}}</ref> Tieszen was a volunteer for the Peace Corps and served as the chief of police for the Rapid City Police Department.
==Elections== *2012 Tieszen was challenged in the June 5, 2012 Republican Primary but won with 2,115 votes (79.33%)<ref>{{cite web |url= http://electionresults.sd.gov/resultsSW.aspx?eid=4&type=LEG&map=DIST |title= Official Results Primary Election - June 5, 2012 |publisher= Secretary of State of South Dakota |location= Pierre, South Dakota |accessdate= January 28, 2014}}</ref> and was unopposed for the November 6, 2012 General election, winning with 8,283 votes.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://electionresults.sd.gov/resultsSW.aspx?type=LEG&map=DIST |title= Official Results General Election November 6, 2012 |publisher= Secretary of State of South Dakota |location= Pierre, South Dakota |accessdate= January 28, 2014}}</ref> *2008 When District 34 incumbent Republican Senator Royal McCracken was term limited and left the seat open, Tieszen won the June 3, 2008 Republican Primary with 1,640 votes (60.67%)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sdsos.gov/content/viewcontent.aspx?cat=elections&pg=/elections/pastelections_electioninfo08_primarylegislature.shtm |title=2008 South Dakota Official Primary Election Results June 3, 2008 |publisher=Secretary of State of South Dakota |location=Pierre, South Dakota |accessdate=January 28, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116103442/http://sdsos.gov/content/viewcontent.aspx?cat=elections&pg=%2Felections%2Fpastelections_electioninfo08_primarylegislature.shtm |archivedate=January 16, 2014 }}</ref> and won the November 4, 2008 General election with 7,914 votes (70.29%) against Democratic nominee Gary Hargens.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sdsos.gov/content/viewcontent.aspx?cat=elections&pg=/elections/pastelections_electioninfo08_generalleg.shtm |title=2008 South Dakota Official General Election Results Legislature November 4, 2008 |publisher=Secretary of State of South Dakota |location=Pierre, South Dakota |accessdate=January 28, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116103400/http://sdsos.gov/content/viewcontent.aspx?cat=elections&pg=%2Felections%2Fpastelections_electioninfo08_generalleg.shtm |archivedate=January 16, 2014 }}</ref> *2010 Tieszen was unopposed for both the June 8, 2010 Republican Primary<ref>{{cite web |url= http://electionresults.sd.gov/resultsSW.aspx?eid=2&type=LEG&map=DIST |title= Official Results Primary Election June 8, 2010 |publisher= Secretary of State of South Dakota |location= Pierre, South Dakota |accessdate= January 28, 2014}}</ref> and the November 2, 2010 General election, winning with 7,136 votes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sdsos.gov/content/viewcontent.aspx?cat=elections&pg=/elections/pastelections_general2010_leg.shtm |title=2010 South Dakota Official General Election Results Legislature November 2, 2010 |publisher=Secretary of State of South Dakota |location=Pierre, South Dakota |accessdate=January 28, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116104333/http://sdsos.gov/content/viewcontent.aspx?cat=elections&pg=%2Felections%2Fpastelections_general2010_leg.shtm |archivedate=January 16, 2014 }}</ref>
==Death== On November 22, 2017, Tieszen and his brother-in-law, Brent Moline, were found dead in open water in the Cook Islands. It was concluded that Tieszen drowned while attempting to save his brother-in-law from drowning while kayaking.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Epp|first1=Todd|title=Rep. Tieszen dies while trying to save his brother in law|url=http://kelo.com/news/articles/2017/nov/23/rep-tieszen-dies-while-trying-to-save-his-brother-in-law/|accessdate=23 November 2017|publisher=Kelo|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201031702/http://kelo.com/news/articles/2017/nov/23/rep-tieszen-dies-while-trying-to-save-his-brother-in-law/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/report-state-rep-craig-tieszen-dies-in-kayak-accident/article_9d5c2bda-d073-11e7-8fd7-83ddfa3b69d4.html|title=State Rep. Craig Tieszen dies in kayak accident|last=Huber|first=Chris|date=2017-11-23|publisher=Rapid City Journal|language=English|accessdate=23 November 2017|location=Rapid City, South Dakota}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/world/us-state-senator-drowns-in-rarotonga-while-trying-save-brother-law-during-family-trip|title=US state senator drowns in Rarotonga while trying to save brother-in-law|last=Dreaver|first=Barbara|accessdate=23 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://cookislandsnews.com/national/local/item/66738-muri-drowning-victims-identified|title=Muri drowning victims identified|last=Taylor|first=Chris|accessdate=25 November 2017}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20140101201853/http://legis.sd.gov/Legislators/Legislators/MemberDetail.aspx?Member=446 Official page] at the South Dakota Legislature {{CongLinks | congbio = | votesmart = 103937 | fec = | congress = }} *[http://ballotpedia.org/Craig_Tieszen Craig Tieszen] at Ballotpedia *[http://www.followthemoney.org/database/uniquecandidate.phtml?uc=9541 Craig Tieszen] at the National Institute on Money in State Politics
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tieszen, Craig}} Category:1949 births Category:2017 deaths Category:Accidental deaths in the Cook Islands Category:American municipal police chiefs Category:Deaths by drowning Category:Law enforcement officials from South Dakota Category:Republican Party members of the South Dakota House of Representatives Category:Politicians from Rapid City, South Dakota Category:Republican Party South Dakota state senators Category:21st-century members of the South Dakota Legislature Category:Peace Corps people
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