South Dakota Primary Election roundup: House majority leader defeated in Republican primary

House Majority Leader Lee Qualm was defeated in his election bid for the Senate after his bill to eliminate student vaccination requirements became a campaign issue.

Erin Tobin, a nurse practitioner from Winner, received 63% of the votes on Tuesday, while Qualm, a farmer from Platte, received 39% of the votes in the Republican primary for Senate District 21 (Bon Homme, Charles Mix, Gregory and Tripp counties). Tobin will face Democratic candidate Dan Kerner Andersson of Burke in the November general election.

Qualm was seeking to switch chambers after reaching his term limit in the South Dakota House. But Tobin has taken him to task during her campaign for his proposal to drop student vaccination requirements, which was defeated during the 2020 legislative session.

Tobin has touted her medical experience in her campaign, saying that it would be valuable during the coronavirus pandemic, while Qualm has maintained that his vaccination bill wasn't an anti-vaccination bill, but rather was about South Dakotans having the freedom to make their own medical choices.

More:Rep. Dusty Johnson wins Republican nomination in 2020 South Dakota primary election

Overall, 29 legislative primary races were held on Tuesday, 27 of them Republican and two of the Democratic and 10 of them in Senate districts and the rest in House districts. Twenty-three legislators won in their primary races on Tuesday while 10 legislators were defeated in their primaries on Tuesday. Twelve newcomers to state politics won in primaries and four former legislators wanting to return to the Capitol won in their primaries on Tuesday.

Rapid City area

Husband and wife Sen. Phil Jensen and Janet Jensen of Rapid City were partially successful in their bid to represent District 33 in the Senate and House.

Phil Jensen and Rep. Taffy Howard will return to Pierre to represent House District 33 (Meade and Pennington) after winning the Republican primary without any challengers in the November general election. Phil Jensen, who has reached his term limit in the Senate, received 34% of the vote and Howard received 42% of the vote, defeating mental health therapist Melanie Torno of Summerset, who received 24%.

However, Janet Jensen received 44% of the vote, losing to Rep. David Johnson of Rapid City for the Senate District 33 (Meade and Pennington). Johnson will face Democratic candidate Ryan Ryder of Black Hawk in the November general election.

Twin sisters Rep. Julie Frye-Mueller and Jodie Frye of Rapid City were also partially successful in their attempt to serve in the Senate and the House. 

Frye-Mueller, in her second term in the House, narrowly defeated Hot Springs Mayor George Kotti 53% to 47% in the Republican primary for Senate District 30 (Custer, Fall River and Pennington). Frye-Mueller will face Libertarian candidate and South Dakota Libertarian Party Chair Gideon Oakes of Keystone in the November general election.

But Frye was defeated in the Republican primary for House District 34 (Pennington). Former legislator Mike Derby received 40% of the votes and Rep. Jess Olson received 34%. Derby and Olson will face Democratic candidates Nick Anderson and Rick Stracqualursi, both of Rapid City, in the November general election.

Rep. Tim Goodwin of Rapid City, a businessman in his second term, and Trish Ladner, a marketing company owner in Hot Springs, won the Republican primary in House District 30 (Custer, Fall River and Pennington), but the race may have a recount. Goodwin led with 46% of the votes, but Ladner received only 63 more votes than third place finisher Florence Thompson of Caputa, president of South Dakota Parents Involved in Education and Citizens for Liberty. Former Keystone Town Board member Kwinn Neff of Hill City followed in fourth place with only 17 fewer votes than Thompson. The top two vote getters won't face any challengers in the November general election.

Sen. Gary Cammack of Union Center won the Republican primary for Senate District 29 (Butte, Meade and Pennington). Cammack, a rancher in his third term, received 59% of the votes compared to 41% of the votes for Terri Jorgenson, a former lobbyist for Concerned Women for America and vice chair of the Meade County Republicans. Cammack will face Libertarian candidate Kent Wilsey of Owanka in the November general election.

Rep. Thomas Brunner of Nisland, in his third term, was defeated in House District 29 (Butte, Meade and Pennington). Former legislator Dean Wink of Howes and Rep. Kirk Chaffee of Whitewood won with 31% and 27% of the votes, defeating Brunner with 26% and county highway superintendent Lincoln Chuck of Union Center with 15%.

Rep. Timothy Johns of Lead, a retired judge, has defeated former legislator John Teupel of Spearfish in the Republican primary for Senate District 31 (Lawrence County). Johns, who reached his term limit in the House, received 59% of the votes while Teupel received 41%. Johns won't face a challenger in the November general election and will head to Pierre again.

Rep. Dayle Hammock of Spearfish, who was appointed in January 2019, was defeated in the Republican primary in House District 31 (Lawrence County). Spearfish attorney Scott Odenbach received 30% of the votes and Mary Fitzgerald of St. Onge received 22% of the votes, defeating Hammock with 15%, Lawrence County Commissioner Brandon Flanagan with 20% and Julie Ann Olson with 13 of the votes. Odenbach and Fitzgerald will face Democratic candidate Brooke Abdallah of Spearfish in the November general election.

Sen. Jessica Castleberry of Rapid City has won the Republican primary in Senate District 35, receiving 72% of the votes compared to vape shop owner Kevin Quick's 28%. In the November general election, Castleberry will face independent candidate Brian Gentry, the stepfather of Serenity Dennard, the girl who has been missing in the Black Hills for more than a year.

Legislators defeated

Rep. Doug Post of Volga, a farmer in his first term, was defeated in his bid for re-election in House District 7 (Brookings). Rep. Tim Reed, the former Brookings mayor in his second term, and former legislator Larry Tidemann of Brookings won the Republican primary, with Reed receiving 41% of the vote and Tidemann receiving 33% of the vote. Post received 26% of the vote. Reed and Tidemann will face Democratic candidates Bill Adamson and Louise Snodgrass, both of Brookings, in the November general election.

Rep. James Wangsness of Miller, a farmer who was appointed in October, was defeated in the Republican primary for House District 23 (Campbell, Edmunds, Faulk, Hand, McPherson, Potter, Spink and Walworth). Rep. Spencer Gosch of Glenham, an insurance agent in his second term, and former legislator Charlie Hoffman of Eureka won with 41% and 35% of the votes, respectively. Wangsness received 14% of the votes and Kevin Watts, an insurance agent from Miller, received 10% of the votes. Gosch and Hoffman don't face a challenger in the November election.

More:South Dakota and Minnehaha County primary election results

Sen. Jeff Monroe of Pierre was defeated in the Republican primary for House District 24 (Hughes, Hyde, Stanley and Sully). Monore was attempting to switch chambers after reaching his term limit representing the district in the Senate. Former technical schools lobbyist Will Mortenson of Pierre and Fort Pierre City Councilor Mike Weisgram won with 33% and 29% of the votes, respectively. They defeated Monroe, with 17%, Pierre family physician Noel Chicoine, with 13%, and Bob Lowery, a retired leader of the state high school activities association, with 7%. Mortenson and Weisgram will face Democratic candidate Amanda Bachman of Pierre in the November general election.

Candidates headed to Pierre

Several legislators essentially won reelection in their Republican primaries on Tuesday because they don't face a challenger in the November general election.

Reps. Hugh Bartels and Nancy York, both Republicans from Watertown, will return to Pierre to represent House District 5 (Codington) after defeating Jacob Sigurdson, a University of South Dakota law student from Watertown. Both Bartels and York are in their second terms representing the district. Bartels received 42% and York received 40% of the votes while Sigurdson received 18%.

Reps. Lance Koth and Paul Miskimins, both from Mitchell, will return to Pierre for their second terms after winning the Republican primary in House District 20 (Aurora, Davison and Jerauld). Koth, a retired banker, and Miskimins, a retired dentist, received 40% and 35% of the votes, defeating Barry Volk, who received 26% of the votes. 

Rep. David Anderson of Hudson, in his third term, and Rep. Kevin Jensen of Canton, in his second term, are headed back to Pierre again after defeating former legislator Bill Shorma of Dakota Dunes in the Republican primary for House District 16 (Lincoln and Union). Jensen received 38%, Anderson received 33% and Shorma received 28% of the votes.

Possible recounts

Only six votes separated Sen. Arthur Rusch of Vermillion and Rep. Nancy Rasmussen of Hurley in the Republican primary in Senate District 17 (Clay and Turner). A recount is possible in the race. Rusch, a retired judge who sponsored a defeated red flag gun bill this year, is seeking election to his fourth term representing the district in the Senate and Rasmussen has reached her term limit representing the district in the House. Rusch won with 1,002 votes while Rasmussen received 996 votes. The winner of the primary will face Democratic candidate Codylee Riedmann of Vermillion and Libertarian candidate Gregory Baldwin of Wakonda in the November general election.

A recount is possible in House District 19 (Bon Homme, Douglas, Hanson, Hutchinson and McCook). Rep. Kent Peterson of Salem, a farmer in his third term, and Jessica Bahmuller, a military wife from Alexandria, won 35% and 33% of the votes, respectively, to fill the two House seats. But Rep. Marty Overweg of New Holland, a business owner appointed to the House in January, trailed Bahmuller by 1%. The winners in House District 19 will be headed to Pierre without any Democratic or Libertarian challengers.

More:Joe Biden wins 2020 South Dakota Democratic presidential primary

Democratic primaries

Rep. Shawn Bordeaux of Mission and Rep. Oren Lesmeister of Parade will be headed back to Pierre after winning their Democratic primaries. 

Bordeaux received 59% of the vote in House District 26A (Mellette and Todd), defeating Alexandra Frederick of Winner, who received 41% of the votes. 

Lesmeister received 74% of the vote in House District 28A, defeating former legislator Dean Schrempp of Lantry, who received 26% of the votes.

Other Republican primaries

The results of Republican primaries for the Legislature on Tuesday: 

House District 17 (Clay and Turner): Sydney Davis of Burbank, a cattle producer and registered nurse anesthetist, and Richard Vasgaard, a farmer from Centerville, won the Republican primary with 41% and 27% of the vote respectively. They defeated former Viborg Mayor Charles Kludt and Dan Werner of Dolton, who both received 16% of the vote. Davis and Vasgaard will face Democratic candidate Al Leber and independent candidate Caitlin Collier, both of Vermillion, in the November general election.

Senate District 23 (Campbell, Edmunds, Faulk, Hand, McPherson, Potter, Spink and Walworth): Bryan Breitling, a Miller School Board member and rural health care administrator, has defeated Larry Nielson, a Tulare farmer who chairs the Spink County Republicans. Breitling received 56% of the votes and Nielson received 44% of the votes.Breitling will face Libertarian candidate CJ Abernathy of Eureka in the November general election.