South Dakota House of Representatives elections, 2018

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2018 South Dakota
House elections
Flag of South Dakota.png
GeneralNovember 6, 2018
PrimaryJune 5, 2018
Past election results
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Republicans maintained their supermajority in the 2018 elections for South Dakota House of Representatives, winning 59 seats to Democrats' 11. At the time of the election, Republicans held 59 seats to Democrats' 10, with one vacancy.

The Republican Party maintained its trifecta in South Dakota in 2018 by holding majorities in the state Senate and House and by retaining the governorship.

The South Dakota House of Representatives was one of 87 state legislative chambers holding elections in 2018. There are 99 chambers throughout the country.

South Dakota state representatives serve two-year terms, with all seats up for election every two years.

Democratic Party For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
Republican Party For more information about the Republican primary, click here.

Post-election analysis[edit]

See also: State legislative elections, 2018

The Republican Party maintained supermajority status in both chambers of the South Dakota State Legislature in the 2018 election. In the state Senate, all 35 seats were up for election. Republicans increased their supermajority in the South Dakota State Senate from 29-6 to 30-5. No incumbents were defeated in the general election.

The South Dakota House of Representatives held elections for all 70 seats. The Republican supermajority in the House of Representatives saw no change from 59-10 to 59-11. One seat was vacant before the election. One Democratic incumbent and three Republican incumbents were defeated in the general election.

National background[edit]

On November 6, 2018, 87 of the nation's 99 state legislative chambers held regularly scheduled elections for 6,073 of 7,383 total seats, meaning that nearly 82 percent of all state legislative seats were up for election.

  • Entering the 2018 election, Democrats held 42.6 percent, Republicans held 56.8 percent, and independents and other parties held 0.6 percent of the seats up for regular election.
  • Following the 2018 election, Democrats held 47.3 percent, Republicans held 52.3 percent, and independents and other parties held 0.4 percent of the seats up for regular election.
  • A total of 469 incumbents were defeated over the course of the election cycle, with roughly one-third of them defeated in the primary.

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Candidates[edit]

See also: Statistics on state legislative candidates, 2018

General election candidates[edit]

South Dakota House of Representatives General Election 2018

  • Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
Office Democratic Party Democratic Republican Party Republican Other
District 1 (2 seats)

Green check mark transparent.pngSteven McCleerey (i)
H. Paul Dennert

Green check mark transparent.pngTamara St. John

District 2 (2 seats)

Jenae Hansen
Mike McHugh

Green check mark transparent.pngLana Greenfield (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngKaleb Weis

District 3 (2 seats)

Brooks Briscoe
Justin Roemmick  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngDrew Dennert (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngCarl Perry  Candidate Connection

District 4 (2 seats)

Jim Chilson
Kathy Tyler

Did not make the ballot:
Melissa Meidinger 

Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Mills (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngFred Deutsch

Daryl Root (Libertarian Party)

District 5 (2 seats)

Diana Hane
Brett Ries

Green check mark transparent.pngHugh Bartels (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngNancy York (i)  Candidate Connection

District 6 (2 seats)

Kyle Boese
Nancy Kirstein

Green check mark transparent.pngIsaac Latterell (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngHerman Otten (i)

Aaron Aylward (Libertarian Party)

District 7 (2 seats)

Dwight Adamson
Zachary Kovach

Green check mark transparent.pngTim Reed (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngDoug Post

Cory Ann Ellis (Independent)

District 8 (2 seats)

Chris Francis
Jason Unger

Did not make the ballot:
Joan Stamm 
Mary Leary 

Green check mark transparent.pngMarli Wiese (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngRandy Gross

Did not make the ballot:
Leslie J. Heinemann (i)

District 9 (2 seats)

Toni Miller
Green check mark transparent.pngMichael Saba

Michael Clark (i)  Candidate Connection
Green check mark transparent.pngDeb Peters

District 10 (2 seats)

Dean Kurtz
Barbara Saxton

Green check mark transparent.pngDoug Barthel (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngSteven Haugaard (i)

District 11 (2 seats)

Sheryl Johnson
Margaret Kuipers

Green check mark transparent.pngChris Karr (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngMark Willadsen (i)

District 12 (2 seats)

Jeff Hayward
Scott Petersen

Green check mark transparent.pngArch Beal (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngManford Steele

District 13 (2 seats)

Green check mark transparent.pngKelly Sullivan

Green check mark transparent.pngSue Peterson (i)
Rex Rolfing

District 14 (2 seats)

Green check mark transparent.pngErin Healy
Valerie Loudenback

Tom Holmes (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngLarry P. Zikmund (i)

District 15 (2 seats)

Green check mark transparent.pngJamie Smith (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngLinda Duba

District 16 (2 seats)

Chad Skiles
Mike Steinbrecher

Green check mark transparent.pngDavid Anderson (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngKevin Jensen (i)

District 17 (2 seats)

Green check mark transparent.pngRay Ring (i)
John Gors

Green check mark transparent.pngNancy Rasmussen (i)

Gregory Baldwin (Libertarian Party)

District 18 (2 seats)

Terry Crandall
Green check mark transparent.pngRyan Cwach

Green check mark transparent.pngJean Hunhoff (i)
Max Farver

District 19 (2 seats)

John Koch

Green check mark transparent.pngKent Peterson (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngKyle Schoenfish (i)

Alison Bowers (Independent)
Roger Hofer (Independent)

District 20 (2 seats)

Ione Klinger
James Schorzmann

Green check mark transparent.pngLance Koth
Green check mark transparent.pngPaul Miskimins

District 21 (2 seats)

Anna Kerner Andersson
Faith Spotted Eagle

Did not make the ballot:
Brian Jorgensen 

Green check mark transparent.pngLee Qualm (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngCaleb Finck

District 22 (2 seats)

Tyler Volesky

Green check mark transparent.pngRoger Chase (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngBob Glanzer (i)

District 23 (2 seats)

Eleanor Iverson
Margaret Ann Walsh

Did not make the ballot:
Philip Testerman 

Green check mark transparent.pngSpencer Gosch (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Lake (i)

District 24 (2 seats)

Terry Keller
Brian Watterson

Green check mark transparent.pngMary Duvall (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngTim Rounds (i)

District 25 (2 seats)

Dan Ahlers (i)  Candidate Connection
BJ Motley  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngTom Pischke (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngJon Hansen

District 26A

Green check mark transparent.pngShawn Bordeaux (i)

District 26B

Debra Smith

Green check mark transparent.pngRebecca Reimer (i)

District 27 (2 seats)

Green check mark transparent.pngPeri Pourier
Margaret Ross

Green check mark transparent.pngSteve Livermont (i)
Elizabeth May (i)

District 28A

Green check mark transparent.pngOren Lesmeister (i)

District 28B

Did not make the ballot:
Lynn Frey 

Green check mark transparent.pngJ. Sam Marty (i)

Jason Hill (Libertarian Party)

District 29 (2 seats)

Jade Addison
Michael McManus

Green check mark transparent.pngThomas Brunner (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngKirk Chaffee

Did not make the ballot:
Larry Rhoden (i)

District 30 (2 seats)

Karen McGregor
Whitney Raver  Candidate Connection

Did not make the ballot:
Henry Whitney 

Green check mark transparent.pngJulie Frye-Mueller (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngTim Goodwin (i)

District 31 (2 seats)

Naveen Malik
Wyatt Osthus

Green check mark transparent.pngTimothy R. Johns (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngCharles Turbiville (i)

District 32 (2 seats)

Susan Kelts
Bill Knight

Did not make the ballot:
Angel Staley 

Green check mark transparent.pngScyller Borglum (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngChris Johnson

Did not make the ballot:
Sean McPherson (i)

District 33 (2 seats)

Lilias Jarding

Did not make the ballot:
Ian Keegan 

Green check mark transparent.pngTaffy Howard (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngDavid Johnson (i)

Nick Reid (Independent)

District 34 (2 seats)

Brian Davis
George Nelson

Green check mark transparent.pngMichael Diedrich (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngJess Olson

District 35 (2 seats)

Michael Hanson
Bo Sistak

Green check mark transparent.pngTina Mulally
Green check mark transparent.pngTony Randolph

Primary election candidates[edit]

2018 South Dakota House of Representatives primary candidates
District Democratic Party

Democrat

Republican Party

Republican

Other
1 Steven McCleerey (I) Approveda
H. Paul Dennert Approveda
Robert Whitmyre
Tamara St. John Approveda
2 Jenae Hansen Approveda
Mike McHugh Approveda
Lana Greenfield (I) Approveda
Kaleb Weis Approveda
3 Brooks Briscoe Approveda
Justin Roemmick Approveda
Drew Dennert (I) Approveda
Carl Perry Approveda
4 Jim Chilson Approveda
Melissa Meidinger Approveda
John Mills (I) Approveda
Fred Deutsch Approveda
5 Diana Hane Approveda
Brett Ries Approveda
Hugh Bartels (I) Approveda
Nancy York (I) Approveda
6 Kyle Boese Approveda
Nancy Kirstein Approveda
Isaac Latterell (I) Approveda
Herman Otten (I) Approveda
7 Dwight Adamson Approveda
Zachary Kovach Approveda
Tim Reed (I) Approveda
Doug Post Approveda
8 Mary Leary Approveda
Joan Stamm Approveda
Leslie Heinemann (I) Approveda
Marli Wiese (I) Approveda
9 Toni Miller Approveda
Michael Saba Approveda
Michael Clark (I) Approveda
Deb Peters Approveda
10 Dean Kurtz Approveda
Barbara Saxton Approveda
Doug Barthel (I) Approveda
Steven Haugaard (I) Approveda
11 Sheryl Johnson Approveda
Margaret Kuipers Approveda
Chris Karr (I) Approveda
Mark Willadsen (I) Approveda
12 Jeff Hayward Approveda
Scott Petersen Approveda
Arch Beal (I) Approveda
Manford Steele Approveda
13 Kelly Sullivan Approveda Sue Peterson (I) Approveda
Amber Mauricio
Rex Rolfing Approveda
14 Erin Healy Approveda
Valerie Loudenback Approveda
Tom Holmes (I) Approveda
Larry P. Zikmund (I) Approveda
R. Shawn Tornow
15 Jamie Smith (I) Approveda
Linda Duba Approveda
Patrick Kirschman
Josh Reinfeld
No candidate
16 Chad Skiles Approveda
Mike Steinbrecher Approveda
David Anderson (I) Approveda
Kevin Jensen (I) Approveda
17 Ray Ring (I) Approveda
John Gors Approveda
Nancy Rasmussen (I) Approveda
18 Terry Crandall Approveda
Ryan Cwach Approveda
Jean Hunhoff (I) Approveda
Max Farver Approveda
19 John Koch Approveda Kent Peterson (I) Approveda
Kyle Schoenfish (I) Approveda
Michael Boyle
20 Ione Klinger Approveda
James Schorzmann Approveda
Lance Koth Approveda
Paul Miskimins Approveda
21 Brian Jorgensen Approveda
Anna Kerner Andersson Approveda
Faith Spotted Eagle
Lee Qualm (I) Approveda
Caleb Finck Approveda
22 Tyler Volesky Approveda Roger Chase (I) Approveda
Bob Glanzer (I) Approveda
23 Eleanor Iverson Approveda
Philip Testerman Approveda
Spencer Gosch (I) Approveda
John Lake (I) Approveda
24 Terry Keller Approveda
Brian Watterson Approveda
Mary Duvall (I) Approveda
Tim Rounds (I) Approveda
Roxanne Weber
25 Dan Ahlers (I) Approveda
BJ Motley Approveda
Tom Pischke (I) Approveda
Tamera Enalls
Jon Hansen Approveda
26A Shawn Bordeaux (I) Approveda
Troy Lunderman
No candidate
26B Debra Smith Approveda Rebecca Reimer Approveda
27 Nicole Littlewhiteman
Peri Pourier Approveda
Margaret Ross Approveda
Steve Livermont (I) Approveda
Elizabeth May (I) Approveda
28A Oren Lesmeister (I) Approveda No candidate
28B Lynn Frey Approveda J. Sam Marty (I) Approveda
29 Jade Addison Approveda
Michael McManus Approveda
Thomas Brunner (I) Approveda
Larry Rhoden (I) Approveda
30 Whitney Raver Approveda
Henry Whitney Approveda
Julie Frye-Mueller (I) Approveda
Tim Goodwin (I) Approveda
31 Naveen Malik Approveda
Wyatt Osthus Approveda
Timothy Johns (I) Approveda
Charles Turbiville (I) Approveda
32 Susan Kelts Approveda
Angel Staley Approveda
Sean McPherson (I) Approveda
Scyller Borglum Approveda
Ed Randazzo
33 Lilias Jarding Approveda
Ian Keegan Approveda
Taffy Howard (I) Approveda
David Johnson (I) Approveda
Melanie Torno
34 Brian Davis Approveda
George Nelson Approveda
Michael Diedrich (I) Approveda
Janette McIntyre
Jess Olson Approveda
35 Michael Hanson Approveda
Bo Sistak Approveda
Tina Mulally Approveda
Tony Randolph Approveda
Notes • An (I) denotes an incumbent.
• Candidate lists can change frequently throughout an election season. Ballotpedia staff update this list monthly. To suggest changes, click here to email our Elections Project.

Margins of victory[edit]

See also: Margin of victory analysis for the 2018 state legislative elections

A margin of victory (MOV) analysis for the 2018 South Dakota House of Representatives races is presented in this section. MOV represents the percentage of total votes that separated the winner and the second-place finisher. For example, if the winner of a race received 47 percent of the vote and the second-place finisher received 45 percent of the vote, the MOV is 2 percent.

The table below presents the following figures for each party:

  • Elections won
  • Elections won by less than 10 percentage points
  • Elections won without opposition
  • Average margin of victory[1]
South Dakota House of Representatives: 2018 Margin of Victory Analysis
Party Elections won[2] Elections won by less than 10% Unopposed elections Average margin of victory[1]
Democratic Party Democratic
10
7
3
1.9%
Republican Party Republican
34
19
0
11.2%
Grey.png Other
0
0
0
N/A
Total[3]
37
19
3
7.7%



The margin of victory in each race is presented below. The list is sorted from the closest MOV to the largest (including unopposed races). Red dots represent Republicans, blue dots represent Democrats, yellow dots represent Libertarians, and grey dots represent independent candidates. Candidates are ordered from left to right based on their share of the vote. The margin of victory is the margin between the bottom-place winner and the top-place losing candidate.

South Dakota House of Representatives: 2018 Margin of Victory by District
District Winning Candidates Losing Candidates Margin of Victory
South Dakota House of Representatives District 27
Democratic Party Republican Party
Democratic Party Republican Party
0.1%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 9
Republican Party Democratic Party
Republican Party Democratic Party
0.4%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 13
Republican Party Democratic Party
Republican Party
0.5%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 25
Republican Party Republican Party
Democratic Party Democratic Party
0.5%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 14
Republican Party Democratic Party
Republican Party Democratic Party
1.0%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 1
Democratic Party Republican Party
Democratic Party
1.2%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 32
Republican Party Republican Party
Democratic Party Democratic Party
1.5%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 12
Republican Party Republican Party
Democratic Party Democratic Party
2.2%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 18
Democratic Party Republican Party
Republican Party Democratic Party
4.1%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 11
Republican Party Republican Party
Democratic Party Democratic Party
4.1%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 7
Republican Party Republican Party
Democratic Party Democratic Party Grey.png
4.8%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 2
Republican Party Republican Party
Democratic Party Democratic Party
5.5%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 17
Republican Party Democratic Party
Democratic Party Libertarian Party
5.7%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 8
Republican Party Republican Party
Democratic Party Democratic Party
6.8%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 31
Republican Party Republican Party
Democratic Party Democratic Party
6.9%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 4
Republican Party Republican Party
Democratic Party Democratic Party Libertarian Party
7.0%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 3
Republican Party Republican Party
Democratic Party Democratic Party
7.8%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 22
Republican Party Republican Party
Democratic Party
8.2%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 20
Republican Party Republican Party
Democratic Party Democratic Party
8.9%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 6
Republican Party Republican Party
Democratic Party Democratic Party Libertarian Party
11.0%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 5
Republican Party Republican Party
Democratic Party Democratic Party
11.6%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 10
Republican Party Republican Party
Democratic Party Democratic Party
11.8%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 21
Republican Party Republican Party
Democratic Party Democratic Party
12.0%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 33
Republican Party Republican Party
Democratic Party Grey.png
12.1%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 34
Republican Party Republican Party
Democratic Party Democratic Party
12.9%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 35
Republican Party Republican Party
Democratic Party Democratic Party
13.1%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 16
Republican Party Republican Party
Democratic Party Democratic Party
15.5%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 24
Republican Party Republican Party
Democratic Party Democratic Party
17.2%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 30
Republican Party Republican Party
Democratic Party Democratic Party
19.6%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 29
Republican Party Republican Party
Democratic Party Democratic Party
23.1%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 26B
Republican Party
Democratic Party
23.1%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 19
Republican Party Republican Party
Democratic Party Grey.png Grey.png
23.9%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 23
Republican Party Republican Party
Democratic Party Democratic Party
24.9%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 28B
Republican Party
Libertarian Party
70.4%
South Dakota House of Representatives District 28A
Democratic Party
None
Unopposed
South Dakota House of Representatives District 10
Democratic Party Democratic Party
None
Unopposed
South Dakota House of Representatives District 26A
Democratic Party
None
Unopposed


Seats flipped[edit]

See also: State legislative seats that changed party control, 2018

The below map displays each seat in the South Dakota House of Representatives which changed partisan hands as a result of the 2018 elections, shaded according to the partisan affiliation of the winner in 2018. Hover over a shaded district for more information.

State legislative seats flipped in 2018, South Dakota House of Representatives
District Incumbent 2018 winner Direction of flip
South Dakota House of Representatives District 1 Democratic Party Susan Wismer Republican Party Tamara St. John D to R
South Dakota House of Representatives District 13 Republican Party G. Mark Mickelson Democratic Party Kelly Sullivan R to D
South Dakota House of Representatives District 14 Republican Party Tom Holmes Democratic Party Erin Healy R to D
South Dakota House of Representatives District 18 Republican Party Mike Stevens Democratic Party Ryan Cwach R to D
South Dakota House of Representatives District 21 Democratic Party Julie Bartling Republican Party Caleb Finck D to R
South Dakota House of Representatives District 25 Democratic Party Dan Ahlers Republican Party Jon Hansen D to R
South Dakota House of Representatives District 27 Republican Party Elizabeth May Democratic Party Peri Pourier R to D
South Dakota House of Representatives District 7 Democratic Party Spencer Hawley Republican Party Doug Post D to R
South Dakota House of Representatives District 9 Republican Party Michael Clark Democratic Party Michael Saba R to D

Incumbents retiring[edit]

Eighteen incumbents did not run for re-election in 2018. Those incumbents were:

Name Party Office
Susan Wismer Electiondot.png Democratic House District 1
Burt E. Tulson Ends.png Republican House District 2
Daniel Kaiser Ends.png Republican House District 3
Jason Kettwig Ends.png Republican House District 4
Spencer Hawley Electiondot.png Democratic House District 7
Wayne Steinhauer Ends.png Republican House District 9
Greg Jamison Ends.png Republican House District 12
G. Mark Mickelson Ends.png Republican House District 13
Karen Soli Electiondot.png Democratic House District 15
Mike Stevens Ends.png Republican House District 18
Lance Carson Ends.png Republican House District 20
Tona Rozum Ends.png Republican House District 20
Julie Bartling Electiondot.png Democratic House District 21
James Schaefer Ends.png Republican House District 26B
Kristin Conzet Ends.png Republican House District 32
David Lust Ends.png Republican House District 34
Lynne DiSanto Ends.png Republican House District 35
Blaine Campbell Ends.png Republican House District 35

Process to become a candidate[edit]

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in South Dakota

DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: Title 19, Chapter 12-6, Title 19, Chapter 12-7 of South Dakota Codified Law

For primary candidates[edit]

A primary election candidate must file a petition no earlier than January 1 and no later than the last Tuesday of March at 5 p.m., prior to the primary election. The petition must contain the required signatures and a declaration of candidacy. The declaration of candidacy must be completed before the candidate collects signatures. The declaration must be completed in the presence of an authorized notary public. A petition for party office or partisan public office must be signed by no less than 1 percent of the party's total registered members in the applicable electoral district. For a state legislative candidate, the petition must be signed by the lesser of 50 voters or 1 percent of the party's total registered members in that district. Any state legislative candidate must be a resident of the district for which he or she is a candidate at the time he or she signs the declaration of candidacy.[4][5][6][7]

For independent candidates[edit]

Any candidate for nonjudicial public office who is not nominated by a primary election may be nominated as an independent candidate by filing with the South Dakota Secretary of State or county auditor. Filing must be completed no earlier than January 1 at 8:00 a.m. and no later than the last Tuesday of April at 5:00 p.m., prior to the election. An independent candidate's certificate of nomination must be signed by registered voters within the applicable district or political subdivision. The number of signatures required may not be less than 1 percent of the total combined vote cast for governor at the last certified gubernatorial election within the district or political subdivision. Registered party members cannot sign petitions for independent candidates. No petition or certificate of nomination may be circulated prior to January 1 of the year in which the election will be held. Primary election candidates are prohibited from filing as independent candidates for the same office in the same year. No candidate can file a certificate of nomination for an office for which he or she has been a candidate in the primary election of the same year. Any candidate for office in the state legislature must be a resident of the district for which he or she is a candidate.[7][8][9][10][11]

For write-in candidates[edit]

The relevant statutes do not stipulate that a candidate may run as a write-in candidate. Write-in candidates for president are expressly prohibited.[12]

Qualifications[edit]

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

To be eligible to serve in the South Dakota House of Representatives, a candidate must be:[13]

  • A U.S. citizen at the time of filing
  • 21 years old at the filing deadline time
  • A two-year resident of South Dakota at the filing deadline time
  • May not have been convicted of bribery, perjury or other infamous crime; may not have illegally taken "public moneys"
  • A qualified voter. A qualified voter is someone who is:
* A U.S. citizen
* Reside in South Dakota
* At least 18 years old old on or before the next election
* Not currently serving a sentence for a felony conviction which included imprisonment, served or suspended, in an adult penitentiary system
* Not be judged mentally incompetent by a court of law
* Not have served 4 consecutive terms

Salaries and per diem[edit]

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
State legislators
SalaryPer diem
$12,851/year$151/day. Legislative days only. Unvouchered.

When sworn in[edit]

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

South Dakota legislators assume office the second Tuesday in January after the general election.[14]

South Dakota political history[edit]

See also: Partisan composition of state houses and State government trifectas

Party control[edit]

2018[edit]

In the 2018 elections, Democrats gained one seat South Dakota House of Representatives.

South Dakota House of Representatives
Party As of November 6, 2018 After November 7, 2018
     Democratic Party 10 11
     Republican Party 59 59
     Vacancy 1 0
Total 70 70

2016[edit]

In the 2016 elections, Republicans increased their majority in the South Dakota House of Representatives from 58-12 to 60-10.

South Dakota House of Representatives
Party As of November 7, 2016 After November 8, 2016
     Democratic Party 12 10
     Republican Party 58 60
Total 70 70

Trifectas[edit]

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Republicans in South Dakota gained a state government trifecta as a result of the 1994 elections by taking control of the state Senate.

South Dakota Party Control: 1992-2022
No Democratic trifectas  •  Twenty-nine years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
Governor R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
Senate R D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Impact of term limits[edit]

See also: Impact of term limits on state representative elections in 2018 and Impact of term limits on state legislative elections in 2018

The South Dakota House of Representatives has been a term-limited state house since South Dakota voters approved Ballot Issue A in 1992, an initiated constitutional amendment. This amendment became part of Section 6 of Article III of the South Dakota Constitution and limits the amount of time that state representatives can stay in office to no more than four consecutive two-year terms.

All 70 seats in the South Dakota House of Representatives were up for election in 2018. In the 2018 elections, five representatives were ineligible to run because of term limits. The following state representatives were term limited in 2018:

Democratic: (1)

Republicans (4):

Of the 87 state legislative chambers that held elections in 2018, 24 of them—12 senate chambers and 12 house chambers—included incumbents who were unable to run for re-election due to term limits.[16] In the 24 chambers affected by term limits in 2018, 1,463 seats were up for election.[17] The Nevada Senate, Arkansas House, and Arkansas Senate are impacted by term limits, but no incumbents were term-limited in 2018. There are 99 chambers throughout the country.

A total of 271 state legislators—96 state senators and 175 state representatives—were ineligible to run in the 2018 elections because of term limits. This represented 4 percent of the 6,066 total seats up for election in November 2018.[18][19] Republicans had twice as many state legislators term-limited in 2018 than Democrats. A total of 86 Democrats were term-limited, while 177 Republicans were term-limited.

Wave election analysis[edit]

See also: Wave elections (1918-2016)

The term wave election is frequently used to describe an election cycle in which one party makes significant electoral gains. How many seats would Republicans have had to lose for the 2018 midterm election to be considered a wave election?

Ballotpedia examined the results of the 50 election cycles that occurred between 1918 and 2016—spanning from President Woodrow Wilson's (D) second midterm in 1918 to Donald Trump's (R) first presidential election in 2016. We define wave elections as the 20 percent of elections in that period resulting in the greatest seat swings against the president's party.

Applying this definition to state legislative elections, we found that Republicans needed to lose 494 seats for 2018 to qualify as a wave election.

The chart below shows the number of seats the president's party lost in the 10 state legislative waves from 1918 to 2016. Click here to read the full report.

State legislative wave elections
Year President Party Election type State legislative seats change Elections analyzed[20]
1932 Hoover R Presidential -1,022 7,365
1922 Harding R First midterm -907 6,907
1966 Johnson D First midterm[21] -782 7,561
1938 Roosevelt D Second midterm -769 7,179
1958 Eisenhower R Second midterm -702 7,627
2010 Obama D First midterm -702 7,306
1974 Ford R Second midterm[22] -695 7,481
1920 Wilson D Presidential -654 6,835
1930 Hoover R Presidential -640 7,361
1954 Eisenhower R First midterm -494 7,513

Competitiveness[edit]

Every year, Ballotpedia uses official candidate lists from each state to examine the competitiveness of every state legislative race in the country. Nationally, there has been a steady decline in electoral competitiveness since 2010. Most notable is that the number of districts with general election competition has dropped by more than 10 percent.

Results from 2016[edit]

Below is Ballotpedia's 2016 competitiveness analysis. Click here to read the full study »

CA 2016 Overview.png

Historical context[edit]

See also: Competitiveness in State Legislative Elections: 1972-2014

Uncontested elections: In 2014, 32.8 percent of Americans lived in states with an uncontested state senate election. Similarly, 40.4 percent of Americans lived in states with uncontested house elections. Primary elections were uncontested even more frequently, with 61 percent of people living in states with no contested primaries. Uncontested elections often occur in locations that are so politically one-sided that the result of an election would be a foregone conclusion regardless of whether it was contested or not.

F5 Pop. % with uncontested state legislative races.png

Open seats: In most cases, an incumbent will run for re-election, which decreases the number of open seats available. In 2014, 83 percent of the 6,057 seats up for election saw the incumbent running for re-election. The states that impose term limits on their legislatures typically see a higher percentage of open seats in a given year because a portion of incumbents in each election are forced to leave office. Overall, the number of open seats decreased from 2012 to 2014, dropping from 21.2 percent in 2012 to 17.0 percent in 2014.

Incumbent win rates: Ballotpedia's competitiveness analysis of elections between 1972 and 2014 documented the high propensity for incumbents to win re-election in state legislative elections. In fact, since 1972, the win rate for incumbents had not dropped below 90 percent—with the exception of 1974, when 88 percent of incumbents were re-elected to their seats. Perhaps most importantly, the win rate for incumbents generally increased over time. In 2014, 96.5 percent of incumbents were able to retain their seats. Common convention holds that incumbents are able to leverage their office to maintain their seat. However, the high incumbent win rate may actually be a result of incumbents being more likely to hold seats in districts that are considered safe for their party.

Marginal primaries: Often, competitiveness is measured by examining the rate of elections that have been won by amounts that are considered marginal (5 percent or less). During the 2014 election, 90.1 percent of primary and general election races were won by margins higher than 5 percent. Interestingly, it is usually the case that only one of the two races—primary or general—will be competitive at a time. This means that if a district's general election is competitive, typically one or more of the district's primaries were won by more than 5 percent. The reverse is also true: If a district sees a competitive primary, it is unlikely that the general election for that district will be won by less than 5 percent. Primaries often see very low voter turnout in comparison to general elections. In 2014, there were only 27 million voters for state legislative primaries, but approximately 107 million voters for the state legislative general elections.

Pivot Counties[edit]

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Five of 66 South Dakota counties—7.6 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Corson County, South Dakota 4.51% 11.08% 21.48%
Day County, South Dakota 23.77% 6.16% 12.89%
Marshall County, South Dakota 15.51% 8.66% 16.48%
Roberts County, South Dakota 15.53% 9.84% 19.64%
Ziebach County, South Dakota 1.96% 16.43% 27.16%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won South Dakota with 61.5 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 31.7 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, South Dakota cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 63.3 percent of the time. In that same time frame, South Dakota supported Republican candidates for president more often than Democratic candidates, 86.7 to 10.0 percent. The state favored Republicans in every presidential election between 2000 and 2016.

Presidential results by legislative district[edit]

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in South Dakota. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[23][24]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won six out of 37 state House districts in South Dakota with an average margin of victory of 19.9 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won four out of 37 state House districts in South Dakota with an average margin of victory of 12.7 points. Clinton won one district controlled by a Republican heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 31 out of 37 state House districts in South Dakota with an average margin of victory of 22.4 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 33 out of 37 state House districts in South Dakota with an average margin of victory of 32.5 points. Trump won five districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.


See also[edit]

External links[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Excludes unopposed elections
  2. Defined as the number of districts where at least one of this party's candidates won.
  3. These numbers are lower than the sum of the figures found in the above rows due to the presence of multimember districts.
  4. South Dakota Codified Law, "Title 12-6-4," accessed January 31, 2014
  5. South Dakota Secretary of State, "Circulating a Nominating Petition," accessed October 29, 2013
  6. South Dakota Codified Law, "Title 12-6-7," accessed January 31, 2014
  7. 7.0 7.1 South Dakota Codified Law, "Title 12-7-6," accessed February 4, 2014
  8. South Dakota Codified Law, "Title 12-7-1," accessed February 4, 2014
  9. South Dakota Codified Law, "Title 12-7-1," accessed February 4, 2014
  10. South Dakota Codified Law, "Title 12-7-1.1," accessed February 4, 2014
  11. South Dakota Codified Law, "Title 12-7-5," accessed February 4, 2014
  12. South Dakota Codified Law, "Title 12-20-21.2," accessed February 17, 2014
  13. South Dakota Secretary of State, "Qualification to Hold Office & Term Limitations," accessed December 18, 2013
  14. South Dakota Constitution, "Article 3, Section 7," accessed November 20, 2012
  15. Schaefer died before the end of his term. His seat was still counted in the total number of term-limited state representatives in 2018.
  16. The Nevada Senate, Arkansas House, and Arkansas Senate were up for election in 2018 and have term limits, but no incumbents were term-limited in 2018.
  17. The Nevada Senate, Arkansas House, and Arkansas Senate are impacted by term limits, but no incumbents were term-limited in 2018. In the three chambers, a total of 129 seats were up for election in 2018. No legislators were unable to run in 2018 in those three chamber because of term limits.
  18. Ballotpedia confirmed through phone calls that at least seven California legislators were term-limited in 2018. The number of California legislators term-limited and the overall number of term-limited state legislators had a chance to change if Ballotpedia could confirm that more members were term-limited in 2018.
  19. Some of the 271 term-limited state legislators in 2018 may resign before their term ends. These legislators were still counted in the total number of term-limited legislators in 2018.
  20. The number of state legislative seats available for analysis varied, with as many as 7,795 and as few as 6,835.
  21. Lyndon Johnson's (D) first term began in November 1963 after the death of President John F. Kennedy (D), who was first elected in 1960. Before Johnson had his first midterm in 1966, he was re-elected president in 1964.
  22. Gerald Ford's (R) first term began in August 1974 following the resignation of President Richard Nixon (R), who was first elected in 1968 and was re-elected in 1972. Because Ford only served for two full months before facing the electorate, this election is classified as Nixon's second midterm.
  23. Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  24. Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017


Leadership
Speaker of the House:Spencer Gosch
Majority Leader:Kent Peterson
Minority Leader:Jamie Smith
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
Tim Reed (R)
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
Arch Beal (R)
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 18
District 19
District 20
District 21
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
District 26A
District 26B
District 27
District 28A
District 28B
J. Marty (R)
District 29
Dean Wink (R)
District 30
District 31
District 32
District 33
District 34
District 35
Republican Party (62)
Democratic Party (8)



Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 | Original source: https://ballotpedia.org/South_Dakota_House_of_Representatives_elections,_2018
Status: cached on September 05 2022 10:20:26
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