PUBLISHER’S COLUMN: ELECTION RESULTS

by Jeremy Waltner

A very late night, a looming deadline, lack of space and — frankly — a thread of exhaustion all prevented me from getting the Nov. 5 general election results published in a story recap this week. In lieu of that, allow me to use my space here to review what went down in what was one of the most colorful and complicated elections I have ever seen.

In the most local fraction of the ballot, District 19 incumbent Kyle Schoenfish won another two-year term in the state Senate with a decisive victory over challenger Michael J. Miller.

Schoenfish defeated Miller 8,735 to 2,582, carrying all counties represented in District 19 and 77% of the total vote.

In another legislative race with local interest, Amber Arlint — who grew up in this community Amber Stern — won another term as a state Representative in District 12, earning a four-way-race-best 33% of the vote.

And in yet another legislative race with a local connection, Arch Beal, dad to District 19 Representative Jessica Bahmuller, won another term as a state Senator in District 12 with a 58% to 42% win over his challenger, Clay Hoffman.

Not surprisingly considering how deeply red South Dakota is, all winning candidates are of the Grand Old Party.

As for the ballot issues:

• Amendment E, which would have removed gender references for certain elected officials, failed with 58% of the voters saying no;
• Amendment F, which imposes certain work requirements for expanded Medicaid benefits, passed with 56% of the voters saying yes;
• Amendment G, which would establish the right to an abortion in South Dakota, failed with 60% of the voters saying no;
• Amendment H, which would do away with party restrictions in primary elections, failed with 66% of the voters saying no;
• Initiated Measure 28, which would eliminate the grocery tax, failed with 70% of the voters saying no;
• Initiated Measure 29, which would legalize recreational marijuana, failed with 56% of the voters saying no.
• And Referred Law 21, which would allow counties to impose a surcharge on certain pipeline companies and establish a landowner’s bill of rights, failed with 60% of the voters saying no.

And in the race for U.S. President, Donald J. Trump won both the electoral college and popular vote over vice president Kamala Harris in a race that was decided overnight Tuesday.

Trump, who won election as the 45th President in 2016, earned 276 electoral college votes and will be just the second man to return to the White House for a second, non-consecutive term.

And with all of that, another election is in the books.

And we move on.

Husband to Stacey and Dad to Ella & Oliver. He has voted in a bipartisan manner in every election since he turned 18 years old.