{{Short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Lynne DiSanto | image = | state_senate = South Dakota | district = 35 | term_start = 2019 | term_end = 2019 | state_house2 = South Dakota | district2 = 35th<ref name="CGA">{{cite web |url= http://legis.sd.gov/Legislators/Legislators/MemberDetail.aspx?Member=1179 |title= Representative Lynne DiSanto |publisher= South Dakota Legislature |location= Pierre, South Dakota |access-date= September 20, 2017}}</ref> | term_start2 = 2015 | term_end2 = 2019 | predecessor = | successor = Incumbent | alongside = | birth_date = | birth_place = Sioux Falls, South Dakota, US | death_date = | death_place = | party = Republican | spouse = | children = | relations = | alma_mater = | profession = Realtor | website = }} '''Lynne DiSanto''', also known as Lyndi Meyers, is an American politician from Box Elder, South Dakota, a former Republican member of the South Dakota state senate and former member of the South Dakota House of Representatives representing District 35, and the former Republican majority whip in the state House.<ref name="WaPo">{{cite news |title=SD lawmaker shares image depicting protesters hit by vehicle |work=The Washington Post |date=2017-09-19 |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/sd-lawmaker-shares-image-depicting-protesters-hit-by-vehicle/2017/09/19/cf06ebda-9d91-11e7-b2a7-bc70b6f98089_story.html |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170920030825/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/sd-lawmaker-shares-image-depicting-protesters-hit-by-vehicle/2017/09/19/cf06ebda-9d91-11e7-b2a7-bc70b6f98089_story.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= 2017-09-20 |access-date=2017-09-20}}</ref> In 2014 and 2016, she received the highest total of votes in her district, which elected two Republicans to the state House of Representatives, and also was elected as a Donald Trump delegate to the 2016 presidential convention.<ref>[http://southdakotagop.com/stay-informed/press-releases/sdgop-elects-delegates-and-alternates-for-republican-national-convention/ SDGOP elects delegates and alternates for Republican National Convention], ''South Dakota Republican Party'', March 21, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2017.</ref>

September 5, 2019, Lynne DiSanto legally changed her name to Lyndi DiSanto,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Senator DiSanto changes her name|url=https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/senator-disanto-changes-her-name/article_b99f9e65-4a42-5443-a219-ea39be4f50f6.html|last=staff|first=Journal|website=Rapid City Journal Media Group|language=en|access-date=2020-05-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Legal Name Change Hearing Notice|url=https://newzgroup.com/SDLegals/2019/455820-2019-07-31_1002.pdf|website=Rapid City Journal|access-date=2020-05-27}}</ref> separated from her husband Mark DiSanto, resigned from the South Dakota legislature,<ref>{{Cite web|title=DiSanto resigns from Legislature|url=https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/disanto-resigns-from-legislature/article_dcaf5199-aeec-5f68-b67d-f1121569f961.html|last=staff|first=Seth Tupper Journal|website=Rapid City Journal Media Group|language=en|access-date=2020-05-28}}</ref> and moved to Montana. Currently, she is going by the name Lyndi Meyer and has returned to working in real estate under Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Floberg Real Estate in the Billings, Montana area.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Lyndi Meyer - Billings, MT Real Estate Agent - realtor.com®|url=https://www.realtor.com/realestateagents/lyndi-meyer_billings_mt_3964400_101794832|website=www.realtor.com|access-date=2020-05-28}}</ref> She has also been known by the names Lyn DiSanto, Lynne Hix-DiSanto, Lynne Hix and is currently going by the name Lyn Seeks according to her Facebook page

==Political History== ===2014 & 2016 State House Elections=== {{Empty section|date=February 2020}}

===2018 State Senate election===

In 2018, DiSanto was elected to the state senate by defeating Democrat Pat Cromwell with 4,323 (62%) votes to 2,650 (38%) votes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://electionresults.sd.gov/resultsSW.aspx?type=LEG&map=DIST%7Ctitle=Legislatve|title=Unofficial Results: GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 6, 2018|website=South Dakota Secretary of State|access-date=2020-02-04}}</ref>

==Controversy== <nowiki>#</nowiki>1 On September 7, 2017, DiSanto shared a graphic via a Facebook post showing two stick figures mowed down by a large sport utility vehicle and another fleeing from the attack, accompanied by an "All Lives Splatter" meme, which she described as "a movement we can all support".<ref name="TPM">[http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/gop-state-lawmaker-shares-meme-cars-hitting-protesters GOP State Lawmaker Shares Meme Encouraging Cars To Hit Protesters], by Nicole Lafond, at ''Talking Points Memo''; published September 20, 2017; retrieved September 20, 2017</ref> The graphic added, "Nobody cares about your protest. Keep your ass off the road".<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.newscenter1.tv/state-lawmaker-loses-realty-job-over-controversial-facebook-post/|title=State lawmaker loses realty job over controversial Facebook post|last=Kraemer|first=Sam|date=2017-09-20|website=KNBN NewsCenter1|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-04}}</ref> The meme was fashioned after the "All Lives Matter" slogan. The post was shared 26 days after 19 protesters were injured and Heather Heyer was murdered in a vehicular attack on August 12, in Charlottesville, Virginia, during a white supremacist "Unite the Right" rally and counter protest there.

After information about DiSanto's post emerged in news media twelve days later, on September 19, she deleted the post and locked her Facebook account.<ref name="WaPo"/><ref name="rapidcity_journal">{{cite news|url=http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/update-firm-drops-rep-disanto-over-facebook-post/article_314a46a6-20a4-5af6-9f1b-1e2c6a6ec145.html|title=UPDATE: Firm drops Rep. DiSanto over Facebook post|last=Tupper|first=Seth|date=2017-09-19|work=Rapid City Journal|access-date=2017-09-20}}</ref> DiSanto subsequently apologized for a lack of judgment:

"I am sorry if people took offense to it and perceived my message in any way insinuating support or condoning people being hit by cars,” DiSanto told ''The Rapid City Journal''. “I perceived it differently. I perceived it as encouraging people to stay out of the street.” <ref name="newstrib-20sep2017">{{cite news|url=https://www.apnews.com/17d4805c66204484b86ec77bcde37008|title=South Dakota lawmaker apologizes for Facebook post|date=2017-09-20|access-date=2020-02-04|agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

Following the news and heavy criticism of DiSanto's post, ''Keller Williams Realty Black Hills'' announced that it had ended its association with DiSanto.<ref name="rapidcity_journal" /> The Working Against Violence group announced the cancellation of DiSanto's keynote address at its annual Power of Purple Domestic Violence Awareness event.<ref name=":0" /> House Majority Leader Lee Qualm stated that DiSanto's position as House Majority Whip would not be affected by this incident.<ref name="newstrib-20sep2017" />

<nowiki>#</nowiki>2 DiSanto involved herself with a number of missing persons cases and created a Facebook page called Lyn Seeks Truth. The Facebook page is currently not active, however it was accompanied by a YouTube Channel <ref>{{Cite web|title=Lyn Seeks Truth|url=https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtpGrcnSbSBoc463s9eGVkQ|website=YouTube|language=en|access-date=2020-05-28}}</ref> and a website that retained the spelling Lynne for the title.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Seeking Truth, for You.|url=https://lynneseekstruth.com/|last=Truth|first=Lynne Seeks|website=Lyn Seeks Truth. com|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-28}}</ref> Lynne faced heavy criticism for her speculations and behavior surrounding the Serenity Dennard case, specifically. DiSanto was served a no-trespass order from the police department after she made threatening comments to a constituent [https://apnews.com/27ba58c618a944d1921996a3f594b4be], and she was reprimanded for recording an interview with Serenity's biological mother against the correctional facility's guidelines. Her actions originally resulted in DiSanto being banned from the prison, but this was later reconsidered.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Corrections head reconsiders ban against legislator|url=https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/corrections-head-reconsiders-ban-against-legislator/article_313b4a12-64f9-5737-8ead-b5e52747da35.html|last=staff|first=Seth Tupper Journal|website=Rapid City Journal Media Group|language=en|access-date=2020-05-28}}</ref>

== Personal life == DiSanto was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/152018/lynne-disanto|title=Lynne DiSanto|website=Vote Smart|access-date=2020-02-04}}</ref>

She attended Chadron State College from 1996-2000 for a BBA in marketing and from 2000-2002 for a MA in counseling psychology.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Voter's Self Defense System|url=http://votesmart.org/|website=Vote Smart|access-date=2020-05-28}}</ref>

Prior to her election, she owned a modeling agency/school in Rapid City, South Dakota by the name of "Fierce Modeling".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hill |first=Jan |title=The road to the runway |url=https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/the-road-to-the-runway/article_b2c35056-0018-5938-954d-f78f5cfad662.html |access-date=2020-05-28 |website=Rapid City Journal Media Group |language=en}}</ref> The modeling agency was featured on the reality TV show ''Remodeled''.<ref>{{Citation|title="Remodeled" Modeling School or Modeling Agency (TV Episode 2012) - IMDb|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2189727/|language=en|access-date=2019-07-11}}</ref> She also owned Fast-Teks On-Site Computer Services of the Black Hills.<ref>{{Cite web|title=DiSanto jumps into lawmaking with vigor in first term|url=https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/disanto-jumps-into-lawmaking-with-vigor-in-first-term/article_c062e8d0-0bbd-5c3d-8a34-89ded15b306b.html|last=staff|first=Tom Griffith Journal|website=Rapid City Journal Media Group|language=en|access-date=2020-05-28}}</ref>

==References== <references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:DiSanto, Lynn}} Category:Living people Category:Republican Party members of the South Dakota House of Representatives Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:21st-century members of the South Dakota Legislature Category:21st-century American women politicians