In looking at last night’s elections, we can only make it a partial review, because Minnehaha County Leah Anderson is still fumbling around, and we don’t know finals in that county yet. But looking at what we do know, we can draw some conclusions.
- A Red Wave swept across South Dakota, only tempered by purple urban firewalls.
The Good News? There was a red wave that swept across the state that was not going to be stopped, even by Republican Party disunity. In District 1, Republicans took both House seats in a tough race. Deep in Native American Country, Republican Tamara Grove knocked out Shawn Bordeaux in a race that has traditionally been impossible for many Republicans, In D27, Anthony Kathol with his awful campaign came within a stone’s throw of taking out incumbent Red Dawn Foster (w/in 300 votes), and Hillary Clinton Donor Liz May also squeaked out a win in the House. The GOP swept several seats that many saw as challenging or might have viewed as impossible. And in a move that would have been unthinkable a decade ago, the Democrat Party Machine seems to have retreated from the reservation making those seats now achievable by Republicans.
The Bad News? While the State Democrat Party seems to have retreated, urban Democrats seem to be consolidating their grip. In Sioux Falls, Democrats completely swept Districts 10 (* this is fluid at moment, as results come in) and 15 – with 15 having stronger numbers than last election as those results are coming in. And we’re still holding our breath that Republicans can keep our numbers as we watch the Minnehaha numbers still come in for D14 Senate. And for the first time in nearly 20 years a Democrat has captured a Rapid City Legislative seat in District 32, as Nicole Uhre-Balk, niece to former Republican Lt. Governor Carole Hillard, picked up a seat in the House. This should not be lost on the Republican hierarchy. There’s trouble brewing in our cities, and it starts with “D.” Leaving cities to foppish Republican organizations who care for little else but their own fiefdom, and not candidates is going to cost you dearly at some point. Because those cities are purpling up.
- Republicans should quit flirting with independent candidates. It never works out, and just tarnishes reputations.
For some reason, certain members of the hard-core right floated indy candidates against Republican nominees because they didn’t believe someone to be of sufficiently pure ideology. They did it in 2020 with weird Brian Gentry running in D35. And they tried it again times two with Shana McVickers in D31 and Karen McNeal in D32 this year. Guess what? They both got completely smashed. McVickers was curb-stomped by more than 2-1, despite local maladjusted Republicans promoting her against GOP Vice Chair Mary Fitzgerald. The one that might sting harder was Karen McNeal showing that no one likes a Karen, as Helene Duhamel took her to school and crushed her on a 60-40 basis, defeating her by more than 1700 votes, despite certain Republicans propping up her effort. With Scott Odenbach’s Liberty Tree PAC tying for being McNeal’s single largest donor, it may end up being more of a dent in his effort to become the next House Majority Leader.
- Who took the biggest hit this election? Rick Weiland.
Are Rick Weiland’s ballot measure days drawing to a close? Because he took a beating last night. His poorly written Amendment G to put abortion in the constitution is sitting down 40% to the 60% against it, after he was unable to get NARAL or Planned Parenthood to support it. His poorly written measure against the food tax that would have bankrupted cities was defeated by an even bigger margin. 70%-30%. Not sure who is going to hire Rick to run their ballot measures in the coming few years, but they should check out his track record before they start writing checks.
We still have a number of results hanging out there and dribbling in slowly, courtesy of Minnehaha County’s auditor Leah Anderson. I had started to pull numbers, but I saw Bobbi Andera pull ahead in D10. So, we’ll revisit them when we know more. Maybe tomorrow.
Brook’s loss may prove that ‘Visit RC’ is insignificant qualification to represent RC.
Might be time for Weiland retire.
rick weiland was on the right side of the abortion issue. all seven states where abortion was on the ballot voted in favor of women’s health including florida. only in south dakota were the voters ignorant enough to vote against the health needs of their own women.
ted, did you read it? It said the state could not tegulate a woman’s decision nor its “effectuation”
during the first trimester. Whatever “effectuation” is supposed to mean. It certainly didnt mean the state could prevent a woman from going to a neighboring state to obtain an abortion, so what did it mean? It suggests the state cannot license the providers nor inspect the facilities. How anybody could think kitchen-table abortions performed by unlicensed midwives is a good idea is baffling. Even if you think abortion should be legal, you have to concede it should be safe .
Seriously? Rick Weiland on the right side of abortion? Since when is it ‘right’ to have to lie to get an amendment passed? Because that is all your side did. A whooper was that late term abortions will not happen. BULL!
Under Roe/Wade the Supreme Court defines ‘health’ as all factors, physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the woman’s age. Now from the amendment itself “ after the end of the second trimester, the state may regulate or prohibit abortion, except when abortion is necessary, or n the medical judgement of the woman’s physician to preserve the life or ‘health’ of the pregnant woman.”
It is amazing that coming from such a devout Catholic family Rick Weiland can openly support the murder of babies. But then again he is a daschle democrat.
One things for sure. Voter participation was down about 15 million nation wide. Only 26% of registered voters in sd voted. About 160K out of over 600 thousand registered. Take a lesson democrats. Voter suppression and lies work. Keep that in mind for 2026.
What are you talking about? According to the SOS, 436,447 ballots were cast in SD, out of 624,186 registered voters. This is a participation rate of 69.92%.
Voter suppression, really?
obviously joe checked the turnout figure when the rest of the state was counted, and minnehaha co had just seven precincts done.
Really?? There is not 360,000 registered voters in Minnehaha County. Nice try, obviously joe is impaired.