South Dakota 2018 Election Results

Ballot Measures, June 5, 2018

South Dakota voters decided 1 statewide ballot measure on June 5, 2018.

Ballot measures

General Election, November 6, 2018

South Dakota held its general election on November 6, 2018, deciding 105 legislative seats across 70 districts and 8 statewide offices led by the governorship. No chamber changed party control.

Highlights

• Republicans kept every lever in Pierre: they held the governorship in a tight race, swept the other statewide offices, and kept two-thirds majorities in both chambers, where Democrats gained a House seat and lost a Senate seat.
• Kristi Noem (R), the state's U.S. House member, beat state Sen. Billie Sutton (D) by about 3 points to become the first female governor in South Dakota history; her running mate, Larry Rhoden (R), became lieutenant governor. Sutton, a former professional rodeo rider, cultivated a moderate image that made the race unusually close in a state that had not elected a Democratic governor in more than 40 years.
• Democrats also lost both of their seats in Sutton's home district. In Senate District 21, first-time legislative candidate Rocky Blare (R) defeated Rep. Julie Bartling (D) to claim the seat Sutton was vacating, and Caleb Finck (R) took Bartling's House seat, so both Democratic seats went Republican.
• Elsewhere, the House traded seats in both directions:
  • Democrats picked up seats in District 9 (Michael Saba (D)), District 13 (Kelly Sullivan (D)), District 14, where Erin Healy (D) unseated Rep. Tom Holmes (R), District 18 (Ryan Cwach (D)), and District 27, where Peri Pourier (D) unseated Rep. Liz May (R).
  • Republicans picked up seats in District 1 (Tamara St. John (R)), District 7 (Doug Post (R)), and District 25, where Jon Hansen (R) and Rep. Tom Pischke (R) ousted Rep. Dan Ahlers (D).
• Term limits brought several new faces to the statewide offices, all won by Republicans. Jason Ravnsborg (R) beat former U.S. Attorney Randy Seiler (D) for attorney general by about 10 points. Auditor Steve Barnett (R) moved up to secretary of state, Treasurer Rich Sattgast (R) switched to auditor, Josh Haeder (R) won the treasurer's office, and Public Utilities Commissioner Kristie Fiegen (R) and School and Public Lands Commissioner Ryan Brunner (R) won new terms, all by roughly 25 points or more.
• Of the 5 November measures, voters approved two and rejected 3:
  • Rejected: Amendment W, a government-ethics and campaign-finance amendment put on the ballot to replace the 2016 anti-corruption law lawmakers repealed; Initiated Measure 25, a tobacco tax increase for technical schools that the tobacco industry spent millions opposing; and Amendment X, which would have required 55% to amend the constitution.
  • Approved: Amendment Z, a single-subject rule for constitutional amendments, and Initiated Measure 24, a ban on out-of-state contributions to ballot-question committees that experts said was unlikely to survive legal challenge; a federal court permanently blocked it in May 2019. House Speaker Mark Mickelson sponsored both.
• Earlier, in June, voters approved Amendment Y, revising the 2016 Marsy's Law crime-victims amendment.
• In all, 10 legislative seats changed parties (five toward Democrats, five toward Republicans), 3 incumbents lost, and 3 races drew a single candidate. Beyond the flips, 2 races were within two points, the closest in Senate District 12, where Sen. R. Blake Curd (R) held off Kasey Olivier (D) by 27 votes.

Legislature

• House (70 seats): 10 D, 60 R before the election, 11 D, 59 R after; control stayed with Republicans.
• Senate (35 seats): 6 D, 29 R before the election, 5 D, 30 R after; control stayed with Republicans.

Statewide races

Legislative races

Ballot measures