​Both US Senator Mike Rounds (R) and at-large Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-Mitchell) secured second terms last night.  Sen. Rounds faces little opposition in November, and Rep. Johnson is now unopposed in the general election.

​A total of 24 states will host nomination elections in June, ten of which are postponed from earlier dates.  Tomorrow is the biggest day, with ten states holding elections.  Eight will vote in their presidential primaries  (Iowa and Idaho held their presidential nominating votes earlier in the year).
 
June 2nd hosts regular state primaries on their originally scheduled date in Iowa, Montana, New Mexico, and South Dakota.  New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) has postponed the presidential and state primary to July 7th, thus opting out of its traditional early June nomination date because of Coronavirus precautions. 
 
A presidential stand-alone event is occurring in Rhode Island tomorrow, necessary since their regular state primary is scheduled as one of the latest in the country on September 15th.  Postponed state primaries from earlier in the year are happening in the District of Columbia, Idaho, Indiana, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.  

​The South Dakota candidate filing deadline has expired, and surprisingly no one has filed against Sen. Mike Rounds (R) or at-large Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-Mitchell).  The two federal officeholders are not yet officially unopposed, however.  Due to the Coronavirus, election authorities are extending the filing period for an unspecified number of days.  Former State Sen. Dan Ahlers (D) was expected to file for the US Senate seat, while business consultant Whitney Raver (D) was reportedly primed to run for the House.  

​The last Democratic Governor of South Dakota was Harvey Wollman, who left office at the beginning of 1979.  A new poll, however, suggests that state Senate Minority Leader Billie Sutton (D-Burke) is not only competitive against US Rep. Kristi Noem (R-Castlewood) for the opportunity of succeeding term-limited Gov. Dennis Daugaard (R), but places him three points ahead.
 
According to Anzalone Liszt Grove Research, polling for the Sutton Campaign (9/20-24; 500 SD likely voters), the Democratic nominee holds a 45-42% edge over Ms. Noem.  Mr. Sutton, a former professional rodeo performer who suffered a broken back in an accident at an event and is now paralyzed from the waist down, has had momentum in this race from the very start.  Starting out behind 53-40%, Sutton pulled to within 46-42% in a July poll, and now has reversed the standing.  It remains to be seen if the Sutton momentum can be sustained through Election Day.

A new Republican primary poll of the open Governor’s campaign was just released in advance of the June 5th nomination election, and it appears that at-large US Rep. Kristi Noem (R-Castlewood) and Attorney General Marty Jackley are locked in a virtual tie as the candidates enter the stretch run.   Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy surveyed the South Dakota Republican electorate (5/21-23; 625 SD GOP likely Republican primary voters) and found Rep. Noem clinging to a bare 45-44% lead over AG Jackley.  The eventual Republican nominee will be a heavy favorite to replace term-limited Gov. Dennis Daugaard (R) in the general election.

--Jim Ellis

A budding primary contest between at-large US Rep. Kristi Noem (R-Castlewood) and Attorney General Marty Jackley is underway culminating in a June 5th election, and Moore Information went into the Republican field to test the gubernatorial candidates.  The survey (2/8; 300 SD likely Republican primary voters) found Ms. Noem opening with a 40-35% edge over the Attorney General.  Two other candidates were tested, but neither could surpass 5% support. 
 
This first public data suggests what most political observers have been saying: that the primary race will be close and hard fought.  The eventual Republican nominee will become a prohibitive favorite to succeed Gov. Dennis Daugaard (R) in the November election.  Mr. Daugaard is ineligible to seek a third term.

--Jim Ellis

​Secretary of State Shantel Krebs (R) joined the forming field of candidates for what will be an open statewide contest for South Dakota’s lone US House seat.  Ms. Krebs joins former Public Utilities Commissioner Dusty Johnson in the GOP race.   Incumbent Rep. Kristi Noem (R-Castlewood) is an announced candidate for Governor.  The seat will remain Republican, so all the action is expected to be in the GOP primary.  South Dakota does have a run-off law, so if no candidate receives at least 35% of the vote the top two finishers will advance to a secondary election.

​The speculated upon Republican gubernatorial battle between at-large Rep. Kristi Noem (R-Castlewood) and Attorney General Marty Jackley is about to begin in earnest.  Rep. Noem is an announced candidate for Governor.  Mr. Jackley has not made a formal declaration of candidacy, but his social media posts are now proclaiming his campaign for the state’s top office.  Gov. Dennis Daugaard (R) is ineligible to seek a third term.