South Dakota
Voters in at least five states restore reproductive rights • South Dakota Searchlight
In the first presidential election since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed state governments to determine if, when and why a woman can end a pregnancy, former President Donald Trump, who touted during the campaign he “was able to kill Roe v. Wade” appeared poised to be reelected early Wednesday. Simultaneously, at least five out of 10 states voted to restore or expand abortion rights, according to early election results.
National anti-abortion groups celebrated Trump’s impending victory over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, who campaigned heavily on restoring reproductive rights. They also celebrated the defeat of Florida’s and South Dakota’s abortion-rights amendments, and foreshadowed a full assault on reproductive freedom throughout the country.
Abortion-rights measure loses in South Dakota
“Now the work begins to dismantle the pro-abortion policies of the Biden-Harris administration,” said Susan B Anthony Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser in a statement. “President Trump’s first-term pro-life accomplishments are the baseline for his second term. In the long term, GOP pro-life resolve must be strengthened and centered on the unalienable right to life for unborn children that exists under the 14th Amendment.”
Despite their losses, abortion-rights advocates said the ballot question victories signal widespread American support for abortion protections even in red states.
Most significantly, Missourians voted to overturn a total abortion ban. Voters also approved an abortion-rights amendment in Arizona, which will override the current 15-week ban. Voters agreed to expand reproductive-rights protections in Colorado, Maryland and New York. Ballot measure races in Montana and Nevada were too close to call as of early morning Wednesday.
“This is an especially historic win for Missouri,” said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the national legal advocacy group Center for Reproductive Rights. “In fact, the amendment goes even further, calling for ‘a fundamental right to reproductive freedom, defined to include abortion and all matters relating to reproductive health care.’ By saying yes to this powerful language, voters have demanded the return of the essential human rights and freedoms they lost after Roe was overturned.”
But abortion-rights advocates suffered a major loss in Florida, which barely failed to clear a 60% supermajority threshold, more than any of the other state abortion initiatives. With 58% voting in favor to overturn a strict abortion ban and enshrine protections, Florida is the first state to fail to secure abortion rights since Roe v. Wade was overturned two years ago.
Abortion-rights organizers who spearheaded and funded Florida’s Yes on 4 campaign said the result still shows majority approval for abortion rights among Floridians, and they vow to continue trying to restore abortion rights in the state that six months ago was an abortion-access haven for the Southeast region.
“We’re incredibly proud to have stood with doctors, patients, and advocates impacted by this ban,” said Yes on 4 Florida campaign manager Lauren Brenzel in a statement. “Their stories, along with the countless women who will continue to suffer under Florida’s cruel and extreme abortion ban, remind us that our fight is far from over.”
Attorney and anti-abortion activist Catherine Glenn Foster told States Newsroom she is celebrating the fact that Floridians blocked attempts to enshrine abortion in their state constitution. However, she acknowledged that state abortion bans have created real problems, including women dying of preventable pregnancy-related causes and being denied routine miscarriage care. She said states that ban abortion should increase social supports, something that largely hasn’t happened since states started banning abortion, and should implement a robust training system around treating health emergencies.
“We need to have a real reckoning,” said Foster, who has previously worked for major anti-abortion groups like Americans United for Life and Alliance Defending Freedom. “We’ve created an environment where doctors are scared. They don’t know how to respond and how to treat, and that’s a big problem. We have to address that before we pass anything else.”
Abortion ballot initiative results
Since Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022, seven states — California, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, Ohio and Vermont — have approved reproductive-rights state constitutional amendments or rejected anti-abortion constitutional amendments. This year reproductive-rights coalitions put abortion on the ballot in 10 states. Arkansas had collected enough signatures to qualify for the ballot, but this summer the state Supreme Court ruled that Arkansans for Limited Government, the committee behind the initiative, did not submit the correct paperwork. The group opposing abortion, marijuana and education measures in the state was led by a top adviser to Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Arkansas Advocate reported.
Arizona — Proposition 139, to enshrine abortion rights until fetal viability — APPROVED
YES: 63%
NO: 37%
In this swing state, abortion is currently legal until 15 weeks’ gestation. Earlier this year, a few Republicans crossed party lines to repeal a Civil War-era near-total abortion ban the legislature had revived. This citizen-initiated amendment would also prevent any penalties for someone who helps a person get an abortion. And it would allow for exceptions later in pregnancy for the patient’s life or physical or mental health.
Colorado — Initiative 79, to allow public insurance to cover abortions — APPROVED
YES: 62%
NO: 39%
The citizen-initiated amendment proposes to expand abortion access in a state that currently has no gestational limits but does have a 40-year-old public funding ban. The amendment also proposes to prevent government interference in pregnancy and allow public insurance to cover abortions.
Florida — Amendment 4, to enshrine abortion rights until viability — FAILED
YES: 57%
NO: 43%
This citizen-initiated amendment would have overturned a 6-week abortion ban that has impacted the Southeast. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration mounted fierce opposition against the abortion-rights campaign that involved a state-sponsored misinformation campaign. Florida was the only state in this election to require a 60% supermajority for ballot measures.
Maryland — Question 1, to protect reproductive autonomy — APPROVED
YES: 74%
NO: 26%
This legislatively-referred amendment would enshrine an individual’s right to make “decisions to prevent, continue, or end” a pregnancy. Maryland has become a major abortion-access haven for the country; it is legal here until fetal viability and after for reasons related to the health of the fetus or pregnant person.
Missouri — Amendment 3, to enshrine abortion rights until fetal viability — APPROVED
YES: 52%
NO: 48%
This citizen-initiated amendment would overturn a near-total abortion ban that only has exceptions to prevent the death of the pregnant person. The ban’s ambiguous language led at least one Missouri hospital system to stop providing emergency contraception to patients, a move that forced the state attorney general to announce that Plan B and contraception remain legal.
Montana — Constitutional Initiative 128, to enshrine abortion rights until fetal viability — RESULTS NOT FINAL
YES: 58%
NO: 42%
This citizen-initiated amendment would guarantee protections in a state where abortion is currently legal but where Republican lawmakers have attempted to pass restrictions since Roe fell in 2022. Preliminary results show supporters of the measure were leading opponents as of 11 p.m. local time.
Nebraska — Initiative 434, to ban abortion after the first trimester vs. Initiative 439, to enshrine the right to abortion until viability
Initiative 434 — APPROVED
FOR: 55%
AGAINST: 45%
Initiative 439
FOR: 49%
AGAINST: 51%
Nebraska was the only state to have two competing abortion-related initiatives on the ballot.
Nevada — Question 6, to enshrine abortion rights until fetal viability — RESULTS NOT FINAL
YES: 63%
NO: 37%
In this swing state abortion is currently legal up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, but this citizen-initiated measure would enshrine abortion rights into law. The measure will need to be approved by voters again in 2026 to become law.
New York — Proposal 1, to bar discrimination based on pregnancy status — APPROVED
YES: 62%
NO: 39%
This legislatively-referred measure would guarantee abortion rights in a state where abortion is legal up to 24 weeks of pregnancy — later if a provider determines the procedure is necessary to save a patient’s life or health, or if the fetus is nonviable.
South Dakota — Amendment G, to allow abortion through the end of the first trimester — FAILED
YES: 39%
NO: 61%
This citizen-initiated measure would have allowed regulation in the second trimester for maternal health reasons and allow lawmakers in the third trimester unless the procedure is necessary to save the life or health of a pregnant patient.
Races where abortion took center stage
Minnesota Congressional District 3
Democrat Dr. Kelly Morrison: 59%
Republican Tad Jude: 41%
Minnesota State Sen. Kelly Morrison, DFL-Deephaven, won the Minnesota 3rd Congressional District race to replace Democratic U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips in a seat that before 2018 had for decades gone to Republicans, AP reported. Morrison is a practicing OB-GYN who supports abortion rights. Currently, the only OB-GYNs in Congress oppose abortion. Her Republican opponent, Tad Jude, has called every abortion a “tragedy” and supported the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
A special election in Minnesota will determine who takes over Morrison’s state Senate seat, whose term ends in 2026.
Wisconsin Congressional District 8
Republican Tony Wied: 60%
Democrat Dr. Kristin Lyerly: 40%
Of the close races in the swing state of Wisconsin, the 8th Congressional District was the least likely to flip from Republican control. But Dr. Kristin Lyerly launched a fierce campaign emphasizing a commitment to restoring reproductive health access to Americans, something she is uniquely positioned to advocate for as a longtime OB-GYN and abortion provider. Lyerly is also one of the plaintiffs in a lawsuit that successfully blocked an 1849 Wisconsin feticide law that was temporarily enforced as a state abortion ban. Her campaign attracted national campaign cash and support. Her opponent, Republican Tony Wied, a former gas station owner, largely ran on his Trump endorsement.
Tennessee State House District 75
Republican Jeff Burkhart: 55 %
Democrat Allie Phillips: 45 %
Incumbent Republican Rep. Jeff Burkhart defeated former day care operator and political newcomer Allie Phillips, who largely campaigned on reproductive rights. The 29-year-old drew national attention after speaking out about being denied a necessary abortion in Tennessee, where abortion is banned, when her desired pregnancy became nonviable and dangerous at 19 weeks. She ultimately traveled out of state to obtain the abortion. Phillips joined a legal challenge to the state’s strict abortion law. She pledged if elected to immediately push for a policy that would carve out exceptions for fetal anomalies to Tennessee’s abortion ban, which she’s named “Miley’s Law” after the baby she and her husband lost.
(SOUTH DAKOTA SEARCHLIGHT) – Democrats are running for 46 of South Dakota’s 105 legislative seats — leaving 56% of seats without a Democratic candidate.
That doesn’t bode well for the party ahead of November, said Michael Card, professor emeritus of political science at the University of South Dakota.
“It doesn’t put them in a position to actually put forward their ideological policy preferences and have much of a success at getting those enacted,” Card said.
In the state Senate alone, Democrats have failed to field a candidate for 22 seats, which is nearly two-thirds of the chamber. In the House, Democrats have failed to field a candidate for 38 seats, which is 54% of the chamber.
There is only one Democratic legislative primary in the state: a state Senate race in District 26, which includes the Rosebud Reservation.
There are no statewide Democratic primaries, after announced candidates for governor and U.S. House dropped out or failed to gather enough petition signatures to make the ballot, leaving one Democrat in each of those races.
Statewide candidates will have less name recognition than Republican candidates ahead of the general election, since they didn’t have primaries, Card said. In the Legislature, Card said Democrats “are guaranteeing they won’t get a majority.”
In contrast, Republicans have primary races for governor, U.S. House and U.S. Senate. Five legislative districts do not have Republican primaries, but do have Republican candidates. There is a Republican candidate running for every legislative seat, except for one House seat in District 27, which includes the Pine Ridge Reservation.
Card said there are several factors leading to poor candidate turnout among Democrats, including a self-fulfilling cycle of failure.
“A lack of winning makes fewer people willing to take a chance on running for office,” Card said. “Why run if I think I’m going to lose?”
Democrats haven’t held a statewide office since 2015, and they haven’t held a majority of either legislative chamber since 1994.
Joe Zweifel, deputy executive director of the South Dakota Democratic Party, said the organization worked “really, really hard” to convince Democrats to run for office.
“But you can’t force people to run for office,” said Zweifel, of Sioux Falls, who’s running for a legislative seat himself in District 12.
He’s heard the open seats called a “failure.” But he disagrees, choosing to focus on the Democrats who did step forward.
“We’re running quality, good candidates in those races,” Zweifel said.
The South Dakota Democratic Party hopes to build on legislative successes, such as a new law from Rep. Kadyn Wittman, D-Sioux Falls, that commits state funding to cover the family portion of reduced-price school meals.
“That specifically is a return on investment for our donors, and it shows that Democrats are doing good things for the people of South Dakota,” Zweifel said.
Wittman’s success helped inspire Democratic District 13 House of Representatives candidate Ali Rae Horsted, of Sioux Falls, to take a second run at the Legislature. Horsted ran unsuccessfully for the Senate against Sen. Sue Peterson in 2024, garnering 42% of the vote.
Horsted plans to build on that success and the name recognition she already has in the district. She hopes she’ll have “better odds” in this election, since there are two House seats for every district.
Horsted said it would better serve South Dakota if the state had a more balanced Legislature. While the latest Legislature was 92% Republican, 52% of voters in South Dakota are Republican. South Dakota has the lowest percentage of Democrats, 7.6%, in the Legislature nationwide.
“I think it’s important that people have options on the ballot,” Horsted said, “and people are able to vote for candidates that represent their values and their vision for the future of South Dakota.”
Makenzie Huber is a lifelong South Dakotan who regularly reports on the intersection of politics and policy with health, education, social services and Indigenous affairs. Her work with South Dakota Searchlight earned her the title of South Dakota’s Outstanding Young Journalist in 2024, and she was a 2024 finalist for the national Livingston Awards.
South Dakota Searchlight is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
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From East River to West River, South Dakota communities share a common goal: creating places where people of all ages can live, work and thrive. AARP’s Domains of Livability provide a framework to help communities do just that. Through the AARP Community Challenge grant program—designed to spark quick, impactful local projects—South Dakota communities are turning big ideas into visible, people-centered improvements.
Read the South Dakota Community Challenge Grant Report, which showcases grant-funded projects across the state designed to build more livable communities.
What Are AARP’s Domains of Livability?
AARP’s approach to livable communities is rooted in eight interconnected domains that together support quality of life at every age:
- Outdoor Spaces and Buildings – Safe, accessible parks, streets and public buildings
- Transportation – Affordable, accessible options for getting around
- Housing – A range of choices that support independence
- Social Participation – Opportunities to connect, learn and have fun
- Respect and Social Inclusion – Communities that value people of all backgrounds and ages
- Civic Participation and Employment – Meaningful ways to engage and contribute
- Communication and Information – Clear, accessible ways to stay informed
- Community Support and Health Services – Access to services that support well-being
These domains work best when addressed together—something South Dakota communities are embracing.
Turning Vision into Action with Community Challenge Grants
AARP Community Challenge grants fund short-term, “quick-action” projects that can ignite long-term change. Across South Dakota, these grants have helped communities pilot ideas, build momentum and demonstrate what’s possible when residents put people first.
Here’s how local projects are bringing the Domains of Livability to life:
- Outdoor Spaces and Buildings: Communities have used grants to enhance parks, create pop-up public spaces, add benches and shade and install wayfinding signs. These improvements invite people to linger, gather, and enjoy shared spaces—supporting both physical activity and social connection.
- Transportation: Small, thoughtful transportation projects can make a big difference. Community Challenge grants have supported safer crossings, improved walkability and bikeability around key destinations and the planning or installation of transit amenities like shelters and seating—especially important for older adults and people with mobility challenges.
- Housing and Community Support: Some projects focus on helping residents age in place by improving access to information about home modification resources or by testing neighborhood-level solutions that connect people to services. These efforts strengthen independence and peace of mind.
- Social Participation and Inclusion: Murals, community events and creative placemaking projects funded by AARP grants have sparked community pride and social connection. By involving residents in design and implementation, these projects foster respect, inclusion and a strong sense of belonging across generations.
- Communication, Civic Participation and Opportunity: From hosting community conversations to creating new tools for sharing local information, South Dakota communities are using grants to engage residents in shaping their future. These efforts elevate local voices and encourage ongoing civic participation.
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