Republican Party primaries in South Dakota, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 22
- Early voting: Sept. 21 - Nov. 5
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 5
- Online registration: No
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: Photo ID required
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
| Republican Party primaries, 2018 |
 |
| Primary Date |
| June 5, 2018 |
| Federal elections |
| Republican primaries for U.S. House |
| State elections |
| Republican primaries for South Dakota legislature |
| Republican primary for governor |
| State party |
| Republican Party of South Dakota |
| State political party revenue |
Primary elections—in which registered voters select a candidate whom they believe should run on the party's ticket in the general election—can reflect internal conflict over the direction of a party.
Heading into the 2018 election, the Republican Party's legislative record during Donald Trump’s presidency figured into several Republican primaries. This record included the passage of major tax legislation in December 2017 and the confirmation of federal judges. It also included a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill in March 2018, which Trump opposed, and unsuccessful efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.[1][2]
Trump, himself, also played a role in Republican primaries. His approval rating reached 90% in June among self-described Republicans, according to a Gallup survey.[3] Many Republican candidates campaigned on their support for Trump, and negative ads accusing opponents of criticizing the president were common.[4][5][6] A May report found Trump's name or image had appeared in 37% of all Republican campaign ads at that point in 2018.[7]
This page focuses on the Republican primaries that took place in South Dakota on June 5, 2018. In addition, the page provides context for understanding the state party apparatus.
Battleground primaries
Battleground elections are those that Ballotpedia expected would either be more competitive than other races or attract significant national attention.
- United States House election in South Dakota (June 5, 2018 Republican primary)
- South Dakota gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018 (June 5 Republican primary)
Federal elections
U.S. House
Republicans
- Dusty Johnson[8]
- Shantel Krebs - South Dakota Secretary of State[8]
- Neal Tapio - State senator[9]
Did not file
State elections
South Dakota Party Control: 1992-2025
No Democratic trifectas • Thirty-two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
Party conventions
In South Dakota, political parties nominate state executive candidates at their conventions instead of holding a primary. The only office this does not apply to is governor. The Democratic Party state convention was held from June 15 to June 16. The Republican Party state convention was held from June 20 to June 23. The Libertarian Party held its state convention on April 14.[12]
Gubernatorial election
Republican primary candidates
Did not make the ballot:
State party overview
- See also: Republican Party of South Dakota
State political party revenue
The Democratic Party and the Republican Party maintain state affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and select U.S. territories. The following maps display total state political party revenue per capita for the Democratic and Republican state party affiliates from 2011 to 2016. The blue map displays Democratic state parties and the red map displays Republican state parties. Click on a state below to view the state party's revenue per capita totals:
Total Democratic and Republican state political party revenue per capita in the United States, 2011-2016
Primary election scheduling
South Dakota was one of eight states to hold a primary election on June 5, 2018.
Voter information
How the primary works
A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. South Dakota law allows parties to choose whether to let unaffiliated voters vote in their elections. For more information on recognized political parties in South Dakota and their primary policies, see here.[13][14]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.
Poll times
In South Dakota, all polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. If the polls close while you are still in line, you will be permitted to vote. South Dakota is divided between Central and Mountain time zones.[15]
Registration requirements
- Check your voter registration status here.
To register to vote in South Dakota, an applicant must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of South Dakota, and at least 18 years old by the day of the next election.[16]
The deadline to register to vote is 15 days before the next election. To register, an applicant may submit a voter registration form to the county auditor. Prospective voters can also register in person at the county auditor's office, driver's license stations, certain public assistance agencies, or military recruitment offices.[16]
Automatic registration
South Dakota does not practice automatic voter registration.[17]
Online registration
- See also: Online voter registration
South Dakota does not permit online voter registration.
Same-day registration
South Dakota does not allow same-day voter registration.[17]
Residency requirements
To register to vote in South Dakota, you must be a resident of the state.[16]
Verification of citizenship
South Dakota does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual applying to register to vote must attest that they are a U.S. citizen under penalty of perjury.
All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[18] As of January 2025, six states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, and New Hampshire — had passed laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration. However, only two of those states' laws were in effect, in Arizona and New Hampshire. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allowed noncitizens to vote in some local elections as of November 2024. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.
Verifying your registration
The South Dakota Secretary of State’s office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website.
Voter ID requirements
South Dakota requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[19]
Voters can present the following forms of identification:
- South Dakota driver's license or nondriver ID card
- U.S. government photo ID
- U.S. passport
- U.S. Armed Forces ID
- Current student photo identification card from a South Dakota high school or South Dakota accredited institution of higher education
- Tribal photo ID
If a voter does not have a photo ID, he or she can sign a personal identification affidavit. The voter will then be given a regular ballot.[19]
Early voting
South Dakota permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.
Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.
As of February 2024, 47 states and the District of Columbia permitted no-excuse early voting.
Absentee voting
All voters are eligible to vote absentee in South Dakota. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee.[20][21]
To vote absentee, an absentee ballot application must be received by county election officials no later than 5 p.m. the day before the election. A completed absentee ballot must then be received by election officials by the close of polls on Election Day.[22]
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
Five of 66 South Dakota counties—7.6 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
| Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Trump margin of victory in 2016 | Obama margin of victory in 2012 | Obama margin of victory in 2008 | ||||
| Corson County, South Dakota | 4.51% | 11.08% | 21.48% | ||||
| Day County, South Dakota | 23.77% | 6.16% | 12.89% | ||||
| Marshall County, South Dakota | 15.51% | 8.66% | 16.48% | ||||
| Roberts County, South Dakota | 15.53% | 9.84% | 19.64% | ||||
| Ziebach County, South Dakota | 1.96% | 16.43% | 27.16% | ||||
In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won South Dakota with 61.5 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 31.7 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, South Dakota cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 63.3 percent of the time. In that same time frame, South Dakota supported Republican candidates for president more often than Democratic candidates, 86.7 to 10.0 percent. The state favored Republicans in every presidential election between 2000 and 2016.
Presidential results by legislative district
The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in South Dakota. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[23][24]
| In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won six out of 37 state House districts in South Dakota with an average margin of victory of 19.9 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won four out of 37 state House districts in South Dakota with an average margin of victory of 12.7 points. Clinton won one district controlled by a Republican heading into the 2018 elections. |
| In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 31 out of 37 state House districts in South Dakota with an average margin of victory of 22.4 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 33 out of 37 state House districts in South Dakota with an average margin of victory of 32.5 points. Trump won five districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections. |
| 2016 presidential results by state House district | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
| 1 | 51.58% | 46.48% | D+5.1 | 37.24% | 57.24% | R+20 | D |
| 2 | 41.78% | 55.63% | R+13.8 | 28.47% | 65.46% | R+37 | R |
| 3 | 44.43% | 52.39% | R+8 | 33.93% | 59.00% | R+25.1 | R |
| 4 | 40.82% | 56.54% | R+15.7 | 27.54% | 66.02% | R+38.5 | R |
| 5 | 39.90% | 58.16% | R+18.3 | 27.89% | 65.65% | R+37.8 | R |
| 6 | 38.47% | 59.68% | R+21.2 | 30.89% | 61.65% | R+30.8 | R |
| 7 | 50.40% | 46.81% | D+3.6 | 43.62% | 47.39% | R+3.8 | D |
| 8 | 43.39% | 54.25% | R+10.9 | 32.58% | 61.26% | R+28.7 | R |
| 9 | 44.78% | 52.69% | R+7.9 | 35.24% | 57.43% | R+22.2 | R |
| 10 | 42.73% | 55.52% | R+12.8 | 34.89% | 58.46% | R+23.6 | R |
| 11 | 42.02% | 56.19% | R+14.2 | 36.63% | 56.47% | R+19.8 | R |
| 12 | 43.37% | 54.72% | R+11.3 | 40.26% | 52.71% | R+12.4 | R |
| 13 | 42.42% | 55.91% | R+13.5 | 42.90% | 50.51% | R+7.6 | R |
| 14 | 45.37% | 53.02% | R+7.7 | 42.55% | 50.96% | R+8.4 | R |
| 15 | 60.76% | 36.19% | D+24.6 | 50.37% | 40.21% | D+10.2 | D |
| 16 | 37.11% | 61.13% | R+24 | 28.21% | 66.43% | R+38.2 | R |
| 17 | 46.23% | 51.48% | R+5.3 | 38.71% | 54.73% | R+16 | D |
| 18 | 42.37% | 55.09% | R+12.7 | 34.30% | 58.81% | R+24.5 | R |
| 19 | 30.80% | 67.46% | R+36.7 | 21.26% | 73.69% | R+52.4 | R |
| 20 | 39.03% | 58.77% | R+19.7 | 28.66% | 65.65% | R+37 | R |
| 21 | 32.69% | 65.58% | R+32.9 | 21.75% | 74.28% | R+52.5 | D |
| 22 | 40.25% | 57.55% | R+17.3 | 28.05% | 65.80% | R+37.8 | R |
| 23 | 27.77% | 70.13% | R+42.4 | 17.94% | 77.32% | R+59.4 | R |
| 24 | 31.98% | 66.03% | R+34.1 | 26.93% | 66.80% | R+39.9 | R |
| 25 | 39.10% | 58.97% | R+19.9 | 31.43% | 61.88% | R+30.4 | D |
| 26A | 71.98% | 26.91% | D+45.1 | 62.07% | 31.66% | D+30.4 | D |
| 26B | 38.65% | 59.41% | R+20.8 | 27.43% | 66.49% | R+39.1 | R |
| 27 | 59.61% | 39.08% | D+20.5 | 51.30% | 43.71% | D+7.6 | R |
| 28A | 59.49% | 38.69% | D+20.8 | 48.66% | 46.00% | D+2.7 | D |
| 28B | 21.01% | 75.69% | R+54.7 | 13.67% | 79.93% | R+66.3 | R |
| 29 | 26.65% | 70.23% | R+43.6 | 18.53% | 73.59% | R+55.1 | R |
| 30 | 28.42% | 68.70% | R+40.3 | 22.14% | 71.69% | R+49.5 | R |
| 31 | 34.98% | 61.85% | R+26.9 | 28.34% | 62.58% | R+34.2 | R |
| 32 | 37.98% | 59.43% | R+21.5 | 33.81% | 56.85% | R+23 | R |
| 33 | 32.89% | 64.91% | R+32 | 28.15% | 64.55% | R+36.4 | R |
| 34 | 34.28% | 63.64% | R+29.4 | 32.46% | 59.35% | R+26.9 | R |
| 35 | 35.21% | 61.55% | R+26.3 | 26.34% | 64.40% | R+38.1 | R |
| Total | 39.87% | 57.89% | R+18 | 31.74% | 61.53% | R+29.8 | - |
| Source: Daily Kos | |||||||
See also
| Federal primaries in South Dakota | State primaries in South Dakota | South Dakota state party apparatus | South Dakota voter information |
|---|---|---|---|
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Footnotes
- ↑ ‘’National Review’’, “Trump Is Not Blameless in the Spending-Bill Disaster,” March 28, 2018
- ↑ The New York Times, "A New Guide to the Republican Herd," August 26, 2012
- ↑ Gallup, "Trump Job Approval Slips Back to 41%," June 25, 2018
- ↑ Daily Commercial, "Trump hurdle looms large in Florida GOP governor primary," July 30, 2018
- ↑ Daily Commercial, "These 2018 Primaries Are Worth Watching," July 25, 2018
- ↑ Washington Post, "Republican primary candidates have one goal: Securing Trump’s endorsement or denying it to an opponent," July 25, 2018
- ↑ USA Today, "Donald Trump once divided Republicans; ads for midterms signal that's no longer true," May 17, 2018
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Argus Leader, "Krebs announces bid for U.S. House seat," March 13, 2017
- ↑ Argus Leader, "Former Trump state campaign director Neal Tapio announces bid for U.S. House," January 29, 2018
- ↑ Abbey Smith, “Email communication with [mailto: [email protected] Matt Johnson]," March 6, 2018
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "TERRELL, ERIC BRAND NEW," accessed September 18, 2017
- ↑ South Dakota Secretary of State, "2018 Political Party State Conventions," accessed April 4, 2018
- ↑ NCSL,"State Primary Election Types," accessed September 25, 2024
- ↑ South Dakota Legislature,"Codified Laws § 12-6-26," accessed September 25, 2024
- ↑ South Dakota Secretary of State, “General Voting Information,” accessed July 23, 2024
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 South Dakota Secretary of State, “Register to Vote, Update Voter Registration or Cancel Voter Registration,” accessed July 23, 2024
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 NCSL, "State Profiles: Elections," accessed July 23, 2024
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 South Dakota Secretary of State, "General Voting Information," accessed July 23, 2024
- ↑ South Dakota Secretary of State, "Voting by Absentee Ballot," accessed July 24, 2024
- ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "Absentee and Early Voting," accessed July 24, 2024
- ↑ Long Distance Voter, "South Dakota Absentee Ballot Guide," accessed July 24, 2024
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
