Updated
Updated · PBS NewsHour · Jun 2
South Dakota Holds 4-Way GOP Governor Primary as 35% Threshold Could Force June 23 Runoff
Updated
Updated · PBS NewsHour · Jun 2

South Dakota Holds 4-Way GOP Governor Primary as 35% Threshold Could Force June 23 Runoff

3 articles · Updated · PBS NewsHour · Jun 2
  • South Dakota voters head to the polls Tuesday in a crowded Republican governor's primary, where Gov. Larry Rhoden faces U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, House Speaker Jon Hansen and businessman Toby Doeden.
  • A 35% threshold to win statewide GOP primaries means the governor, U.S. Senate and U.S. House races could all advance to a June 23 runoff if no candidate clears the bar.
  • Mike Rounds is seeking a third Senate term against Republican Justin McNeal, while Attorney General Marty Jackley and James Bialota are competing for Johnson's lone U.S. House seat.
  • Sioux Falls voters are also choosing among 5 candidates to replace term-limited Mayor Paul TenHaken, with a runoff set if no one wins a majority.
  • About 674,000 voters are registered statewide, including 318,000 Republicans, and roughly 17,000 ballots had already been cast as of May 26 in a heavily Republican state.
With five candidates running for Sioux Falls mayor, is a runoff election almost a certainty?
Can an incumbent who inherited the governorship overcome history and a crowded field to secure the nomination?
Will over $11 million in spending decide the governor's race, or simply force a costly runoff election?