Republicans Roll to Resounding Victory in South Dakota

South Dakota voters told the Republican party “We want more of what you’ve got.”  

From top to bottom and by wide margins Republicans staked claims to all statewide elections.  Despite vote tabulation problems in the two most populous counties, there was no denying the GOP wave in the Rushmore State that also swept most of the country.

Polls showed that Mike Rounds was in a tight race for U.S. Senate.  The votes said otherwise.  At no time during the campaign was the support for Rounds as strong as it was on election night.  With 552 of 714 precincts reporting, over 50 percent of the votes were captured by the two-term Governor with three other candidates splitting the rest of the pie.  Rick Weiland fared best with 28 percent followed by Larry Pressler with 17 percent and Gordon Howie well back with just 3 percent.

For the first time since 1963 the entire Washington delegation from South Dakota will be from the Republican party.  Kristi Noem was also a victor by a 68-32 margin.

The roll just kept coming with Dennis Daugaard, Shantel Krebs, Marty Jackley, Steve Barnett, Rich Sattgast, Ryan Brunner and Gary Hanson all maintaining over 60 percent support.

Results from the ballot questions were also in the affirmative as the Patient/Doctor Choice (Initiated Measure 17), Minimum Wage Increase (Initiated Measure 18) and Expanded Deadwood Gaming (Constitutional Amendment Q) all passed as well.  However the final margins will not be exact until the ballots are counted in Minnehaha County.