MITCHELL, S.D. (MITCHELLNOW) As of this writing, it is a certainty that former President Donald Trump will be the 47th President of the United States. He will be the first since President Grover Cleveland to be elected to two terms, nonconsecutively. While Donald Trump has been elected president, his margin of victory is in doubt. As of the morning of November 6, 2024, Trump has 277 electoral votes (270 are needed for election) and Vice President Kamala Harris has 224. The states of Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii and Michigan have yet to report final results. It remains to be seen if Harris carries those states, lessening the sting of defeat, or if Donald Trump wins them, thus adding more icing to his electoral cake.
In South Dakota races, Kristie Fiegen was re-elected to the Public Utilities Commission with 70% of the vote while Dusty Johnson was re-elected to Congress with 74% of the vote.
Amendment E, which would have changed male pronouns to the name of the office (for example, “he” would have changed to “The Governor…”) failed 59-41%.
Amendment F, which requires those on Medicaid to work to maintain their health coverage, passed 56-44%.
Amendment G, which would have expanded abortion rights beyond just saving the life of the mother, failed67-33%.
Amendment H, which would have changed South Dakota’s primary system to a single “jungle primary” where everyone – regardless of party affiliation ran in a single primary – failed 67-33%.
Initiated Measure 28, which would have removed the sales tax on anything for “human consumption” was walloped at the polls failing 71-29%.
Initiated Measure 29, which would have legalized small amounts of marijuana for people over the age of 21, failed 60-40%.
Referred Law 21, which dealt with landowner issues and the carbon capture pipeline, failed 60-40%.