NEWS
On July 15, Mills Mayor, Leah Juarez, posted two videos to her official mayoral Facebook page accusing Jeske of not residing in Wyoming. Mayor Juarez makes the point in her first video, that a candidate must reside in his district for no less than a year. She reads from a letter Jeske mailed to constituents: “For the past ten-plus years, I’ve been an active small business owner investing in multi-family rental properties right here in our district.” She interprets his statement as Neil Jeske claiming residency for adecade. “For the past ten years? Man, I’ve never heard of you . . . but you’re going to represent my city.”
None of Jeske’s published materials claim he resided in Wyoming for ten consecutive years. What he claims is residence from April of 2024 to the present.In her narrative, Juarez uses Jeske’s run for Sioux Falls, SD City Councilto question his Wyoming residency.
Here’s what we know. Neil Jeske lived in Sioux Falls from 2020 until 2024. During that time, he was engaged to be married. After losing the election, a rash of violence broke out in the complex where he lived and managed a four-plex. On April 27, 2024, he made the sudden decision to move to Casper. Jeskedidn’t want to bring his new Brazilian bride into danger.
On May 23, 2024, Neil married Samantha in Casper, WY. Their residence was listed on Willow Street in House District 59.
Oil City News published the Jeske's wedding announcement in May of 2024.
That summer, Neil worked for Forefront Real Estate LLC, which was owned by current Senate District 29 Candidate, Lisa Engebretsen.
Old Dominion Freight Line hired Jeske in August of 2024, and he continues local pickup and delivery for them to this day.
In a second video, Mayor Juarez accused Jeske of violating non-commercial registered agent laws, insinuating he still resided in Sioux Falls. The Open Range Recordcalled the Secretary of State’s office in South Dakota because laws for registered agents differ from state to state. The SOS confirmed that in South Dakota, a non-commercial registered agent is required to have a physical address in the state.
When speaking with Jeske, he admitted his error, and it has been corrected. The paperwork is filed correctly with a registered agent who resides in Sioux Falls.
The remainder of Juarez’s second video continues to call Jeske’s residence into question. According to the evidence, the claims made by the Mayor of Mills cannot be true. It is important to note the videos made to discredit House District 59 candidate, Neil Jeske, were postedon her official Mayor of Mills Facebook page.
Wyoming state statute 9-13-205 states that: “(a) a public official, public member, or public employee shall not use public funds, time, personnel, facilities or equipment for his private benefit or that of another unless the use is authorized by law.”
It is clear from the documents provided to The Open Range Record by Neil Jeske that he does meet the qualifications to run for the Wyoming House of Representatives. It is also clear that any discrepancy brought up by Juarez has already been corrected.