South Dakota

Before votes are counted, Republicans already have a near-majority in the Legislature • South Dakota Searchlight

Published

1 year ago

September 21, 2024

Before votes are counted, Republicans already have a near-majority in the Legislature • South Dakota Searchlight

Before South Dakotans began early voting Friday for the Nov. 5 general election, the Republican Party already had a near-majority in next year’s Legislature.

Seventeen Republicans are running unopposed for the 35-member Senate, which has one winner in each district.

Republicans are guaranteed another 35 seats in the 70-member House, which has two winners in each district. The guaranteed Republican seats are in districts where two candidates are running and both are Republicans, and in districts where three candidates are running and two are Republicans.

There’s one unopposed Democrat running for Senate, and the Democratic Party is guaranteed at least two seats in the House.

All 105 seats in the Legislature are up for grabs in the election, and 43% of the them are already decided — an increase from 42% headed into the 2022 election.

Seventeen of the 45 unchallenged legislative candidates on the November ballot also went unchallenged in their party’s June primary election. There were 44 Republican legislative primary races in June and one Democratic primary race.

Sixty-one candidates running for a state legislative seat in Nov. 5 election are women, while 98 are men.

Voters in South Dakota have plenty of other choices to make beyond legislative races. Ballots are lengthy, with seven statewide ballot questions, a U.S. House race and a Public Utilities Commission race, plus local races.

Uncontested races and guaranteed seats

The 45 unchallenged candidates for the Legislature in the Nov. 5 election:

District 1 Senate (Brown, Day, Marshall, Roberts counties): Michael Rohl, Republican
District 2 Senate (Minnehaha County): Steve Kolbeck, Republican
District 2 House (Minnehaha County): David Kull and John Sjaarda, Republican
District 3 Senate (Brown County): Carl Perry, Republican
District 4 Senate (Clark, Codington, Deuel, Grant, Hamlin, Roberts counties): Stephanie Sauder, Republican
District 4 House (Clark, Codington, Deuel, Grant, Hamlin, Roberts counties): Kent Rose and Dylan Jordan, Republican
District 6 Senate (Lincoln County): Ernie Otten, Republican
District 7 Senate (Brookings County): Tim Reed, Republican
District 8 Senate (Brookings, Kingsbury, Lake, Miner counties): Casey Crabtree, Republican
District 9 Senate (Minnehaha County): Joy Hohn, Republican
District 10 Senate (Minnehaha County): Liz Larson, Democrat
District 13 House (Lincoln and Minnehaha counties): Tony Venhuizen and John Hughes, Republican
District 16 Senate (Lincoln, Turner, Union counties): Kevin Jensen, Republican
District 17 Senate (Clay and Union counties): Sydney Davis, Republican
District 19 House (Bon Homme, Hanson, Hutchinson, McCook, Turner counties): Drew Peterson and Jessica Bahmuller, Republican
District 20 Senate (Davison, Jerauld, Miner, Sanborn counties): Paul Miskimins, Republican
District 20 House (Davison, Jerauld, Miner, Sanborn counties): Jeff Bathke and Kaley Nolz, Republican
District 21 House (Aurora, Charles Mix, Douglas, Gregory, Tripp counties): Jim Halverson and Marty Overweg, Republican
District 22 House (Beadle, Clark, Spink counties): Kevin Van Diepen and Lana Greenfield, Republican
District 23 Senate (Brown, Campbell, Edmunds, Faulk, Hand, McPherson, Potter, Walworth counties): Mark Lapka, Republican
District 23 House (Brown, Campbell, Edmunds, Faulk, Hand, McPherson, Potter, Walworth counties): Scott Moore and Spencer Gosch, Republican
District 24 Senate (Haakon, Hughes, Hyde, Stanley, Sully counties): Jeff Mehlhaff, Republican
District 24 House (Haakon, Hughes, Hyde, Stanley, Sully counties): Will Mortenson and Mike Weisgram, Republican
District 25 House (Minnehaha and Moody counties): Les Heinemann and Jon Hansen, Republican
District 28B House (Butte, Harding, Perkins counties): Travis Ismay, Republican
District 29 Senate (Meade County): John Carley, Republican
District 29 House (Meade County): Kathy Rice and Terri Jorgenson, Republican
District 31 Senate (Lawrence County): Randy Deibert, Republican
District 33 Senate (Meade and Pennington counties): Curt Voight, Republican
District 33 House (Meade and Pennington counties): Curt Massie and Phil Jensen, Republican
District 34 House (Pennington County): Mike Derby and Heather Baxter, Republican
District 35 Senate (Pennington County): Greg Blanc, Republican

The 10 House districts where one party has two of the three candidates in a two-winner race, thereby guaranteeing at least one seat for that party:

District 3 House (Brown County): Democrat Erin Rudner and Republicans Brandei Schaefbauer and Al Novstrup
District 6 House (Lincoln County): Democrat Garret Campbell and Republicans Herman Otten and Aaron Aylward
District 8 House (Brookings, Kingsbury, Lake, Miner counties): Libertarian Greg Zimmerman and Republicans Rim Reisch and Tim Walburg
District 9 House (Minnehaha County): Democrat Beverly Froslie Johnson and Republicans Bethany Soye and Tesa Schwans
District 10 House (Minnehaha County): Republican Bobbi Andera and Democrats Kameron Nelson and Erin Healy
District 16 House (Lincoln, Turner, Union counties): Democrat Matthew Carl Ness and Republicans Karla Lems and Richard Vasgaard
District 17 House (Clay and Union counties): Democrat Ray Ring and Republicans Bill Shorma and Chris Kassin
District 27 House (Bennett, Jackson, Pennington, Oglala Lakota counties): Republican Liz May and Democrats Peri Pourier and Elsie Meeks
District 30 House (Custer, Fall River, Pennington counties): Democrat Susan Scheirbeck and Republicans Trish Ladner and Tim Goodwin
District 32 House (Pennington County): Democrat Nicole Uhre-Balk and Republicans Steve Duffy and Brook Kaufman

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South Dakota

SD Highway Patrol releases new details on hit and run, asks for public’s help

Published

11 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

SD Highway Patrol releases new details on hit and run, asks for public’s help

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – The South Dakota Highway Patrol is continuing to look for the suspect in a deadly hit-and-run near Humboldt, SD.

In a Facebook post, the SD Highway Patrol has released new details regarding the semi suspected of committing the hit and run.

According to police, the semi is a red Freightliner Cascadia semi, missing its passenger-side headlight.

The semi was traveling eastbound from the Humboldt area on I-90 in the early morning hours of Jan. 3, 2026.

Police are seeking information, video, or pictures from 2:13 a.m. – 3:00 a.m. along I-90 and I-29 from the public.

If you have any tips or footage, contact the South Dakota Highway Patrol District 2 Office at (605) 367-5700.

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South Dakota

Dept. of Agriculture and Natural Resources announces $48 million for statewide projects

Published

23 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

Dept. of Agriculture and Natural Resources announces million for statewide projects

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) has the approval of over $48 million in loans and grants for statewide projects.

Together with the Board of Water and Natural Resources, a total of $36,958,000 in state loans, including $425,000 in principal forgiveness, was authorized for drinking water and wastewater improvements.

More funding was distributed to the following programs:

BDM Rural Water:

Received an additional $233,450 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to construct a new water treatment plant, install a new water reservoir, install a pipe to expand the water system, and replace water meters

Clay Rural Water:

Received $334,250 in ARPA grant funds to construct two ground storage reservoirs near the Greenfield reservoir and the Wakonda Water Treatment plant

Mid-Dakota Rural Water System:

Received $917,357.85 in ARPA grant to update the existing water system

Mitchell:

Received $3,930,000 in Clean Water State Revolving Funds to upgrade the clay sanitary and storm sewer

Rapid City:

Received a $14,512,000 Drinking Water State Revolving loan to make improvements to an existing well and also construct two new wells

Shared Resources:

Received $1,500,000 in ARPA grant funds for a treatment plant, well field, distribution pipeline, and two storage tanks

Sioux Falls:

Received $7,648,000 to complete a third connection to the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System
Received $17,746,000 to construct a new Southeast Basin sanitary force main

South Lincoln Rural Water System:

Received $328,250 in ARPA funds to install an elevated water tank, new pump station, and new water treatment plant

South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources:

Received $1 million in ARPA funds for its statewide Riparian Buffer Initiative

Toronto:

Received $770,000 Drinking Water Revolving Loan to accommodate the Department of Transportation installing new storm sewers and highway surfacing

These programs are funded through a combination of federal appropriations, loan repayments, and bonds.

The board approved the funding during a January 8 meeting in Pierre.

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Lucky For Life winning numbers for Jan. 8, 2026

Published

1 day ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 8, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 8 drawing

05-12-13-39-48, Lucky Ball: 13

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.

When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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