Republican voters across western South Dakota delivered a mix of continuity and razor-thin finishes in a series of closely watched state House primaries Tuesday, with incumbents largely advancing but several races edging within recount territory.
District 35: Bartscher, Fleming Claim Open Seats
In an open-seat contest, Dale Bartscher of Rapid City led the field with 1,241 votes, followed closely by Jason Fleming of Box Elder with 1,205, as both secured the district’s two nominations over Jace West (744) and Emmett Reistroffer.
District 34: Derby Advances, Second Spot Heads Toward Recount
Rep. Mike Derby of Rapid City comfortably secured renomination with 2,710 votes, while former legislator Becky Drury edged incumbent Heather Baxter for the second spot.
Drury finished with 1,861 votes, just ahead of Baxter’s 1,815 — a margin small enough to fall within the 2% threshold for a potential recount, leaving the final outcome not entirely settled.
District 33: Incumbents Advance — But Margin Triggers Recount Window
In another razor-close race, incumbents Phil Jensen (2,285 votes) and Curt Massie (1,988) claimed the two nominations in a four-way contest.
However, challenger Jeff Marlette finished just five votes behind Massie at 1,983, placing the race within the legal margin for a recount.
Sandra Comer trailed with 1,205 votes.
District 30: Goodwin, Ladner Hold Off Challenger
Incumbents Tim Goodwin of Rapid City and Trish Ladner of Hot Springs both secured renomination in a three-way race, earning 3,708 and 3,450 votes, respectively.
Challenger Stephen Saint of Custer remained competitive with 2,313 votes.
District 29: Deering, Cammack Win Four-Way Contest
A competitive four-candidate race in District 29 saw Gary Deering of Hereford lead the field with 2,198 votes, followed closely by former legislator Gary Cammack of Union Center with 2,135.
Incumbents Kathy Rice (1,957) and Terri Jorgenson (1,572) were both defeated, marking one of the clearest shifts away from sitting officeholders in this year’s legislative primaries.
District 28B: Ismay Retains Seat in Single-Member Race
In the lone single-seat subdistrict contest, Rep. Travis Ismay of Newell successfully defended his position, defeating Larry Schmaltz of Belle Fourche 1,597 to 1,313.
Comments