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Governorship and House seat on the ballot in conservative North Dakota, where GOP primaries are key

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Governorship and House seat on the ballot in conservative North Dakota, where GOP primaries are key


BISMARCK, N.D. — Voters are settling a rambunctious Republican primary contest Tuesday for North Dakota’s only U.S. House seat and a competitive race for governor, with each winner putting themselves in a commanding position for the November general election.

Also on the ballot is a high-profile initiative that would bar people from running or serving in the U.S. House or Senate if they are to turn 81 years old during their term.

The GOP primaries are key to winning office in the conservative state, where Republicans dominate and Democrats have not won a statewide contest since 2012. Some legislative races have only Republican candidates this year, and two GOP state officeholders are running unopposed.

North Dakota has no voter registration — all that’s needed to vote is an accepted ID, such as a driver’s license. Any eligible voter can vote in the Republican races as long as they stick to that party on the ballot.

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Republican Gov. Doug Burgum, who is among those being considered by former President Donald Trump as a vice presidential pick, is not seeking a third term, and U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong and Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller are facing off in the primary in hopes of succeeding him.

Armstrong, a three-term congressman, has endorsements from the state party and from Trump. Miller did not attend the GOP convention but has Burgum’s endorsement.

Democratic state Sen. Merrill Piepkorn is also running for the governorship, as is independent Michael Coachman, who once tried unsuccessfully to get a Burgum recall on the ballot. Coachman is not on the ballot on Tuesday, and has not yet submitted signatures to get onto the general election ballot.

The next governor will be tasked with balancing priorities, spending and tax cuts during a time when state finances are healthy, and also considering property tax reform, said Jim Poolman, a former Republican state insurance commissioner, lawmaker and party official.

In the race for the House seat being vacated by Armstrong, Republican contenders include military veteran and former U.S. State Department employee Alex Balazs; plastic surgeon and former state Rep. Rick Becker; longtime Public Service Commissioner Julie Fedorchak; Williston resident Sharlet Mohr; and Cara Mund, an attorney and former Miss America who ran unsuccessfully as an independent in 2022.

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The relatively little-known Balazs has the endorsement of the state party, while Trump and Burgum have endorsed Fedorchak, who has won three previous statewide races. Becker, who founded an ultraconservative caucus in the Legislature, has endorsements from U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and other conservatives in Congress. Mund is running as a moderate. Mohr is also little-known.

The campaign has been marked by tough, negative ads in a contest of “who can be the Trumpiest,” said Earl Pomeroy, a Democrat who held the seat from 1993 to 2011.

“Have we really just gotten to the point where it’s all kind of a Fox News-driven contest about national, conservative talking points, or is there still an opportunity in a congressional race to talk about hard issues facing the state and who can best address them?” Pomeroy said.

Whoever wins for the GOP will face the winner of the Democratic primary, between military veteran Trygve Hammer and frequent candidate Roland Riemers.

The ballot measure that would set the congressional age cap is intended to avoid age-related and cognitive issues among officeholders, supporters say.

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Some legal experts view it as a test case for revisiting a 1995 U.S. Supreme Court ruling against congressional term limits. A state legislative panel attached a $1 million cost estimate to the measure in anticipation of a lengthy legal challenge.

Republican U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer, who is unopposed on the primary ballot Tuesday as he seeks reelection, is against the measure, saying voters should be able to choose whomever they want.

“To limit those decisions arbitrarily just doesn’t make sense to me,” Cramer said.

Despite the primaries’ decisive nature, they historically have seen low turnout, varying from 17% to 27% of eligible voters from 2014 to 2022.



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SD Lottery Mega Millions, Millionaire for Life winning numbers for March 10, 2026

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The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 10, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 10 drawing

16-21-30-35-65, Mega Ball: 07

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 10 drawing

03-27-43-45-49, Bonus: 04

Check Millionaire 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.
  • Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

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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Trading property tax for sales tax: Legislature moves forward with parts of homeowner relief package

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Trading property tax for sales tax: Legislature moves forward with parts of homeowner relief package


PIERRE — Two pieces of a property tax reduction package prepared by South Dakota’s legislative leadership and the executive branch are moving forward, but one bill failed during votes on Monday as lawmakers began the final week of the annual legislative session.

The House of Representatives voted

42-27

in support of

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Senate Bill 245

, which would pull future revenue from a scheduled sales tax increase from 4.2% to 4.5% next year into a relief fund for homeowner property taxes, and use nearly $56 million in one-time money to seed the fund before the sales tax increase.

The Senate supported

House Bill 1323

, which would reduce the number of petition signatures needed to force an election on a local government’s decision to levy property taxes beyond limits set by the state. The Senate passed the bill 19-15.

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Both bills have to return to the opposite chamber for consideration of amendments.

The Senate rejected

House Bill 1253

, which would cap annual assessment growth for owner-occupied homes and commercial properties at 5% annually and reset assessments back to market value every five years. The bill failed with a 9-24 vote.

The bills are part of a broader,

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five-bill legislative package

targeted at property tax relief.

Another bill

in the package, which would allow counties to implement a half-percent sales tax with proceeds going to homeowner property tax credits, is awaiting the governor’s signature after he proposed it and it received both chambers’ approval.

The legislative budget committee is scheduled to consider a fifth piece of legislation in the package on Tuesday.

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The bill

would reduce maximum property tax levies for school districts.

Sales tax bill overcomes concerns about future budget needs

SB 245 would capture revenue from the impending sales tax increase to deposit into a “homeowner property tax reduction fund” meant to reduce property taxes levied by school districts. The Legislature and then-Gov. Kristi Noem reduced the state sales tax rate three years ago but scheduled the reduction to sunset in 2027.

House Speaker Jon Hansen, R-Dell Rapids, told lawmakers on Monday that the bill would be an “investment in the people,” because it’ll give South Dakota homeowners more money to spend as they choose. Hansen, the bill’s sponsor and a candidate for governor, said that would lead to more spending and, therefore, more sales tax revenue. The state relies on sales taxes, while counties and schools rely on property taxes, and cities receive revenue from property taxes and sales taxes.

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Some opponents said the legislation would favor wealthier, property-owning South Dakotans rather than lower-income renters.

Rep. Mike Weisgram, R-Fort Pierre, speaks on the House floor at the Capitol in Pierre on March 9, 2026.

(Photo by Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)

Rep. Mike Weisgram, R-Fort Pierre, worried that automatically diverting future state revenue to reduce homeowner property taxes would come at the cost of other priorities, such as annual funding increases for state employees, Medicaid providers and public schools — which are known as the “big three” budget priorities. Lawmakers often

aim

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to increase funding for the groups by 3% or inflation, whichever is less. An inflationary increase this legislative session would be 2.5%, according to the state Department of Education.

“We are just clawing to get 1.4% for the big three,” Weisgram said. “I don’t think any of us are proud of that.”

Hansen said the decision “is not an either-or” situation.

“We can help the property taxpayers in the state who desperately, desperately need it,” Hansen said, “and then I trust fully that this state is going to continue to grow and that we are going to be able to meet the needs of our core obligations of this state.”

The bill was introduced as an amendment to placeholder legislation last week, and it will head to the Senate for approval. The Senate narrowly rejected a

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similar proposal

earlier this legislative session.

Senate approves lower signature threshold to force election on excess taxes

The version of House Bill 1323 that passed the Senate would set the number of petition signatures needed to force an election on an excess tax levy (often called an “opt-out”) for a local government at 2,500 or 5% of registered voters within its jurisdiction, whichever is less. The current threshold to refer decisions by a local government is 5% of registered voters in the district, without a 2,500 signature cap.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Taffy Howard, R-Rapid City, said it will still be difficult to refer decisions by a local government to voters.

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“You’re talking dozens and dozens of volunteers, weeks of organized effort,” Howard said. “There’s not a lot of people that have been through that and can even organize that kind of effort. So it’s not a trivial bar.”

Because the bill was amended since it last appeared in the House, it’ll now go to the House for approval.

HB 1253 intended to provide South Dakota homeowners and commercial property owners predictable increases in their property assessments, which factor into property taxes they pay, over five year periods.

But opponents said the change would shift the property tax burden onto farmers and ranchers and surprise homeowners every five years when assessments would be re-based on market value, which could lead to double-digit increases in assessments.

This story was originally published on

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SouthDakotaSearchlight.com.

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Political Pulse: South Dakota Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff on data centers, property taxes and more

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Political Pulse: South Dakota Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff on data centers, property taxes and more


RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – State Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff joined Political Pulse over the weekend.

Mehlhaff weighed in on property tax proposals, data centers, and effort to repeal the death penalty and speculation that Kristi Noem could run for Senate.

The interviewed was taped on Saturday.

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