{"id":40535,"date":"2026-11-08T01:38:52","date_gmt":"2026-11-08T06:38:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/republicans-sweep-statewide-races\/"},"modified":"2026-11-08T01:38:54","modified_gmt":"2026-11-08T06:38:54","slug":"republicans-sweep-statewide-races","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitedresourceconnection.org\/cannon-ball-nd-58528\/republicans-sweep-statewide-races\/","title":{"rendered":"Republicans sweep statewide races"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/a>South Dakota voters returned Republicans to every statewide and federal office on Tuesday while rejecting two of the four constitutional amendments placed before them. The unofficial results also preserved overwhelming Republican control of the Legislature, although Democrats increased their representation for the first time in a general election since 2008.<\/p>\n

All 671 precincts had reported by Wednesday afternoon. A total of 310,298 ballots were cast among 628,563 registered voters, producing turnout of 49.37 percent. The figures remain unofficial until the results are canvassed and certified.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Gov. Larry Rhoden secured his first full term as governor, with former legislator Tony Venhuizen elected lieutenant governor. The Republican ticket received 193,321 votes, or 63.5 percent, against 111,137 votes, or 36.5 percent, for Democrats Dan Ahlers and Steven McCleerey.<\/p>\n

Republican U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds won a third term with 184,576 votes, or 60.5 percent. Independent challenger Brian Bengs received 120,490 votes, or 39.5 percent.<\/p>\n

Former South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley was elected to the state\u2019s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Jackley received 195,575 votes, or 64 percent, while Democrat Nicole \u201cNikki\u201d Gronli received 109,973, or 36 percent. Jackley will succeed Republican Dusty Johnson.<\/p>\n

Republicans also completed a sweep of the less visible but consequential statewide offices. Heather Baxter was elected secretary of state with 172,353 votes, or 58.4 percent. Democrat Terrence Davis received 106,540 votes, or 36.1 percent, while Libertarian Tamara Lesnar received 16,260, or 5.5 percent.<\/p>\n

Republican Lance Russell was elected attorney general without an opponent, receiving 193,246 votes. Catherine Barranco defeated Democrat Tom Cool for state auditor, 182,680 to 109,372, while Melissa Hull defeated Democrat Margaret Kuipers for state treasurer, 182,347 to 109,738.<\/p>\n

Brock Greenfield was elected commissioner of school and public lands with 179,731 votes, compared with 111,002 for Democrat Raeann Mettler. Republican Don Haggar won the Public Utilities Commission race with 174,555 votes, or just over 60 percent, while Democrat Frank Kloucek received 115,204.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Voters were less uniform when deciding the four proposed constitutional amendments, approving two and rejecting two.<\/p>\n

Amendment I, which would have ended expanded Medicaid coverage if the federal government\u2019s contribution fell below 90 percent, was defeated. The amendment received 131,191 yes votes and 165,397 no votes, meaning Medicaid expansion will not automatically disappear if the federal reimbursement rate is reduced.<\/p>\n

Amendment J passed with 183,746 yes votes against 114,913 no votes. It adds language to the state Constitution specifying that a person must be a United States citizen to vote and expressly disqualifies noncitizens from voting in South Dakota elections.<\/p>\n

Amendment K, establishing a trust fund for unclaimed property held by the state, was approved by 178,558 voters and opposed by 114,470.<\/p>\n

Amendment L was decisively rejected. The proposal would have required future constitutional amendments and revisions to receive 60 percent of the vote instead of a simple majority. It received 126,158 yes votes and 171,346 no votes. The result preserves the existing majority-vote requirement for amending the state Constitution.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Republicans will continue to dominate both chambers of the Legislature. The new Senate will contain 33 Republicans and two Democrats. The House will contain 59 Republicans, 10 Democrats and one independent. Democrats will hold 12 of the Legislature\u2019s 105 seats, up from eight during the 2026 session. Their four-seat gain was the party\u2019s first net improvement in a South Dakota general election since 2008.\u00a0<\/p>\n

West River produced several of the election\u2019s more closely watched legislative results. In District 26, Republican Rebecca Reimer defeated Democratic Sen. Shawn Bordeaux, 3,187 to 2,706. The district nevertheless remained divided in the House. Democrat Eric Emery retained the District 26A seat, defeating Republican Ron Frederick, 1,523 to 839. Republican Angi Hanzlik won District 26B with 2,419 votes, compared with 1,123 for Democrat Lewis GrassRope.<\/p>\n

District 27 produced one of the state\u2019s most unusual outcomes. Republican Anthony Kathol won the Senate seat with 2,270 votes, or 42.7 percent. Democrat Celestine Stadnick followed with 2,035 votes, while independent Rep. Peri Pourier finished third with 1,013. Pourier had changed her affiliation from Democrat to Republican before entering the Senate race as an independent.<\/p>\n

In the District 27 House race, Republican Liz May led with 2,453 votes. Independent Evangeline Poor Bear of Pine Ridge secured the second House seat with 1,600 votes, overtaking independent Joe Flood, who finished with 1,471. Independents Elizabeth Lone Eagle and Jay Yohner received 1,009 and 755 votes, respectively. Poor Bear becomes the first independent elected to the South Dakota Legislature since 2010, although she has said she generally aligns with Republicans.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In District 28A, Republican Jana Hunt defeated Democrat Chastity \u201cChas\u201d Jewett, 1,832 to 1,297. Republican Travis Ismay was unopposed in District 28B, while Republican Sam Marty was unopposed for the district\u2019s Senate seat.<\/p>\n

The most competitive Rapid City Senate contest came in District 32, where Republican Helene Duhamel defeated Democrat Jeff Shelton, 3,317 to 3,015. Shelton came within 302 votes of taking the seat.<\/p>\n

Democrat Nicole Uhre-Balk led the four-candidate District 32 House field with 3,283 votes and secured one of the district\u2019s two seats. Republican Steve Duffy claimed the other with 2,666. Republican Zachary Martin finished outside the winning pair with 2,317, followed by independent Samuel Hare Sr. with 1,756. Uhre-Balk\u2019s victory made her the first Democrat reelected in the district in 36 years. She and Emery will be the only Democratic legislators residing west of the Missouri River.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Republican Taffy Howard survived another relatively close Senate contest in Rapid City\u2019s District 34, defeating Democrat Michael Calabrese, 4,943 to 4,508. Republicans Mike Derby and Becky Drury won the district\u2019s two House seats over Democrat Victor Diego Dominguez.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere in the Rapid City area, Republican David Johnson defeated Democrat Christopher Baumgartner in the District 33 Senate race, while Republicans Curt Massie and Phil Jensen won the district\u2019s House seats. District 35 Republicans Greg Blanc, Jason Fleming and Dale Bartscher won the Senate and two House seats, respectively. Democrat Ken Jeakins finished third in the District 35 House contest.<\/p>\n

The results leave South Dakota firmly under Republican control despite Democratic gains elsewhere in the country and in several Sioux Falls-area legislative districts. West River\u2019s political representation will remain overwhelmingly Republican, but Emery\u2019s victory at Rosebud, Uhre-Balk\u2019s reelection in Rapid City and Poor Bear\u2019s independent victory at Pine Ridge prevent the region\u2019s legislative delegation from becoming entirely Republican.<\/p>\n

The post Republicans sweep statewide races<\/a> first appeared on Native Sun News Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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South Dakota voters returned Republicans to every statewide and federal office on Tuesday while rejecting two of the four constitutional amendments placed before them. The unofficial results also preserved overwhelming Republican control of the Legislature, although Democrats increased their representation for the first time in a general election since 2008. <\/p>\n

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Shared by Native Sun News Today<\/a> November 8, 2026<\/p>\n

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