# Pam Cole

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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pam_Cole
> Source revision: 1350108198
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{{short description|American politician}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image        =
| name         = Pamela Merchant Cole
| caption      = 
| state_senate = South Dakota
| state        = South Dakota
| district     = 7th
| term_start   = 2009
| term_end     = 2011
| preceded     = [Orville B. Smidt](/source/Orville_B._Smidt)
| succeeded    = [Larry Tidemann](/source/Larry_Tidemann)
| constituency = 
| majority     = 
| party        = [Democrat](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States))
| birth_date   = {{birth date and age|1967|12|18}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Pamela K. Merchant |url=https://sdlegislature.gov/historical/legislator/profile/3815 |website=[South Dakota Legislature](/source/South_Dakota_Legislature) |access-date=16 July 2022}}</ref>
| birth_place  = [Walhalla, North Dakota](/source/Walhalla%2C_North_Dakota)<ref>{{cite web |title=About Me |url=http://www.merchantforsenate.com/aboutme.html |website=Merchant for Senate |access-date=16 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100830174158/http://www.merchantforsenate.com/aboutme.html |archive-date=30 August 2010}}</ref>
| birth_name   = Pamela Merchant
| death_date   = 
| death_place  = 
| spouse       = 
| alma_mater   = [Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design](/source/Rocky_Mountain_College_of_Art_and_Design)<ref name=B /><br />[South Dakota State University](/source/South_Dakota_State_University)<ref name=N />
| profession   = [Graphic designer](/source/Graphic_designer)
| website      =  
}}
'''Pamela Merchant Cole''' (born December 18, 1967) is a [graphic designer](/source/graphic_designer) and former [Democratic](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) member of the [South Dakota Senate](/source/South_Dakota_Senate) who represented the 7th district from 2009 to 2011. She was also the executive director of the [South Dakota Democratic Party](/source/South_Dakota_Democratic_Party) from 2020 to 2021.<ref name=BR>{{cite web |title=Cole named new SDDP director |url=https://brookingsregister.com/article/cole-named-new-sddp-director |website=[The Brookings Register](/source/The_Brookings_Register) |access-date=16 July 2022 |date=27 February 2020}}</ref><ref name=SDDP>{{cite web |title=Executive Director of SDDP to leave position at end of February |url=https://sddp.org/executive-director-sddp-leave-position-end-february/ |website=[South Dakota Democratic Party](/source/South_Dakota_Democratic_Party) |access-date=16 July 2022 |date=9 February 2021}}</ref>

==Career==
Cole was elected to the 7th district state senate seat in the [2008 election](/source/2008_South_Dakota_Senate_election), beating [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) [Orville B. Smidt](/source/Orville_B._Smidt). She served on the Commerce Committee, the Health and Human Service Committee and the Taxation Committee. She lost her seat at the [2010 election](/source/2010_South_Dakota_Senate_election), being beaten by [Larry Tidemann](/source/Larry_Tidemann).<ref name=B>{{cite web |title=Pam Merchant |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Pam_Merchant |website=[Ballotpedia](/source/Ballotpedia) |access-date=16 July 2022}}</ref>

In 2016, she moved from [Brookings](/source/Brookings%2C_South_Dakota) to [Sioux Falls](/source/Sioux_Falls).<ref name=BR /> She was made the executive director of the [South Dakota Democratic Party](/source/South_Dakota_Democratic_Party) in February 2020,<ref>{{cite web |title=South Dakota Democratic Party hires new executive director |url=https://www.blackhillsfox.com/content/news/South-Dakota-Democratic-Party-hires-new-executive-director-568216621.html |website=[KEVN](/source/KEVN-LD) |access-date=16 July 2022 |date=26 February 2020}}</ref> after the party leadership had resigned due to the party misstating its finances and finding itself in debt.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Lisa Kaczke |title=South Dakota Democratic Party leadership resigns amid financial woes |url=https://eu.argusleader.com/story/news/politics/2019/10/23/south-dakota-democratic-party-leadership-resigns-paula-hawks-stacey-burnette-randy-seiler/4077394002/ |website=[Argus Leader](/source/Argus_Leader) |access-date=16 July 2022 |date=23 October 2019}}</ref> In September 2020, Cole announced that the party had been "extremely frugal" in its recent spending and was once again financially stable.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Lisa Kaczke |title=Last year, S.D. Democrats were in the red. With new leadership, the party now moves on. |url=https://eu.argusleader.com/story/news/politics/2020/09/03/south-dakota-democratic-party-leaders-say-party-back-track-after-financial-woes/3436091001/ |website=[Argus Leader](/source/Argus_Leader) |access-date=16 July 2022 |date=3 September 2020}}</ref> She resigned in February 2021 for personal reasons.<ref name=SDDP />

In 2022, Cole filed to run for the at-large B seat on Sioux Falls city council as incumbent [Christine Erickson](/source/Christine_Erickson) was [term limit](/source/term_limit)ed. She lost to Rich Merkouris, a local pastor.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Trevor J. Mitchell |title=Local pastor, non-profit leader Rich Merkouris files to run for At-Large B council seat |url=https://eu.argusleader.com/story/news/2021/10/12/rich-merkouris-sioux-falls-city-council-seat-at-large-b-seat/8422261002/ |website=[Argus Leader](/source/Argus_Leader) |access-date=16 July 2022 |date=12 October 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=Trevor J. Mitchell |title=Former executive director of South Dakota Democratic Party files for At-Large B council seat |url=https://eu.argusleader.com/story/news/2022/01/10/former-director-south-dakota-democratic-party-pamela-cole/9164204002/ |website=[Argus Leader](/source/Argus_Leader) |access-date=16 July 2022 |date=10 January 2022}}</ref><ref name=SF>{{cite web |title=2022 Election Results |url=https://siouxfalls.org/council/city-clerk/election-information/2022 |website=City of Sioux Falls |access-date=16 July 2022 |date=12 April 2022}}</ref>

==Electoral history==
===2008===
{{Election box begin no change| title = 2008 South Dakota Senate election: District 7 Democratic primary<ref name="E2008">{{cite web |title=South Dakota State Senate elections, 2008 |url=https://ballotpedia.org/South_Dakota_State_Senate_elections,_2008 |website=[Ballotpedia](/source/Ballotpedia) |access-date=16 July 2022}}</ref>}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Pam Merchant
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 1,128
| percentage = 52.03
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Craig A. Tschetter
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 1,040
| percentage = 47.97
}}
{{Election box total no change
| votes = 2,168
| percentage = 100.0
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change| title=2008 South Dakota Senate election: District 7 general election<ref name=E2008 />}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|
  |party      = Democratic Party (US) 
  |candidate  = Pam Merchant
  |votes      = 4,940
  |percentage = 51.16
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|
  |party      = Republican Party (US) 
  |candidate  = [Orville B. Smidt](/source/Orville_B._Smidt)
  |votes      = 4,716
  |percentage = 48.84
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box total no change|
  |votes      = 9,656
  |percentage = 100.00
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box gain with party link no change|
  |winner     = Democratic Party (US)
  |loser      = Republican Party (US)
  |swing      =
}}
{{Election box end}}

===2010===
{{Election box begin no change| title=2010 South Dakota Senate election: District 7 general election<ref>{{cite web |title=South Dakota State Senate elections, 2010 |url=https://ballotpedia.org/South_Dakota_State_Senate_elections,_2010 |website=[Ballotpedia](/source/Ballotpedia) |access-date=16 July 2022}}</ref>}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|
  |party      = Republican Party (US) 
  |candidate  = [Larry Tidemann](/source/Larry_Tidemann)
  |votes      = 4,289
  |percentage = 54.15
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change|
  |party      = Democratic Party (US) 
  |candidate  = Pam Merchant
  |votes      = 3,631
  |percentage = 45.85
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box total no change|
  |votes      = 7,920
  |percentage = 100.00
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box gain with party link no change|
  |winner     = Republican Party (US)
  |loser      = Democratic Party (US)
  |swing      =
}}
{{Election box end}}

===2022===
{{Election box begin no change| title=2022 Sioux Falls City Council election: At-large district B general election<ref name=SF />{{refn|group=note|Candidates for Sioux Falls City Council must run without a party designation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Candidates/Political Committees |url=https://siouxfalls.org/council/city-clerk/election-information/candidates-p-committees |website=City of Sioux Falls |access-date=16 July 2022}}</ref>}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate no change|
  |party      = ''no description''
  |candidate  = Rich Merkouris
  |votes      = 14,493
  |percentage = 56.99
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate no change|
  |party      = ''no description'' 
  |candidate  = Pam Cole
  |votes      = 10,936
  |percentage = 43.01
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box total no change|
  |votes      = 25,429
  |percentage = 100.00
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box end}}

==Personal life==
Cole married her husband Mike in 2018 and together they have a [blended family](/source/blended_families) of five adult children.<ref name=N>{{cite web |title=News: Cole to seek Sioux Falls At Large B city council seat |url=http://www.coleforcouncil.com/news/ |website=Pam Cole for Council |access-date=16 July 2022 |date=10 January 2022}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cole, Pamela}}
Category:1967 births
Category:Living people
Category:American graphic designers
Category:American women graphic designers
Category:South Dakota State University alumni
Category:Democratic Party South Dakota state senators
Category:Women state legislators in South Dakota
Category:21st-century American women politicians
Category:21st-century members of the South Dakota Legislature

{{SouthDakota-politician-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Pam Cole](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pam_Cole) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pam_Cole?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.