Pam Cole

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Pamela Merchant Cole (born December 18, 1967) is an American graphic designer and former Democratic member of the South Dakota Senate, who represented the 7th district from 2009 to 2011.

Born Pamela Merchant in Walhalla, North Dakota, she studied at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design and South Dakota State University. She is a graphic designer by profession. Cole won the 2008 election for the SD Senate, defeating Republican Orville B. Smidt, and served on the Commerce, Health and Human Service, and Taxation committees. She lost her 2010 bid for reelection to Larry Tidemann.

In 2016, she moved from Brookings to Sioux Falls. She became the executive director of the South Dakota Democratic Party in February 2020, after the party’s leadership resigned amid financial trouble. By September 2020, she said the party was extremely frugal and financially stable again. She resigned in February 2021 for personal reasons.

In 2022, Cole ran for the at-large B seat on the Sioux Falls City Council, but lost to Rich Merkouris. She married Mike in 2018, and they have a blended family of five adult children.