| Joe Donnell | |
| State House: | South Dakota |
| District: | 1st |
| Term Start: | 2023 |
| Education: | Trinity Bible College and Graduate School (B.A.) Continental Theological Seminary |
| Awards: | is not set --> |
Joe Donnell is an American politician who has served in the South Dakota House of Representatives since 2023.
Donnell is the founder and director of Warriors Circle, a Christian nonprofit that works with Native Americans to develop leadership skills.[1] He has a bachelor of arts degree in church ministries from Trinity Bible College and Graduate School, and a master's degree in theology from Continental Theological Seminary in Belgium.[2]
Donnell first ran for office in June 2022 against incumbent Mike Rohl for the 1st District of the South Dakota Senate and lost the primary election.[3] [4] After Logan Manhart withdrew from the District 1 House race, Donnell was selected as his replacement on the ballot by the South Dakota Republican Party.[5] He went on to win the general election and, alongside Tamara St. John, is one of two Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate tribal citizens who serve in the 2023 legislature.[6] He introduced Governor Kristi Noem at the swearing-in ceremony for her second term.[7]
In an interview with Meri Crouley for the Now Is The Time podcast, Donnell went viral after he described how he believed God revealed to him that there is a direct ley line from the Mount Rushmore National Memorial to Washington, DC.[8] He suggested that demonic forces use the monument as an "freemason shrine" to practice witchcraft and spread communism.[9] The Mount Rushmore National Memorial declined to comment on Donnell's claims.[10]