Reports of South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem's political demise were greatly exaggerated. Bluestem Prairie had published some of them, related to polling, but in the end, those rumors were as well founded as pundits' prediction of a red wave nationally.
At the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, Annie Todd and Alfonzo Galvan report in Gov. Kristi Noem secures second term with big win over Jamie Smith:
South Dakota voters overwhelming chose Gov. Kristi Noem to serve another term.
With 99% of precincts counted by 9 a.m. Wednesday, Noem had received 62% of the vote. Democratic challenger Jamie Smith had received 35% and Libertarian Tracey Quint 3%.
The Associated Press called the race shortly before 10 p.m. CT, with less than 40% of precincts fully reported. The win is historic. Noem becomes the first woman to win re-election to the highest political seat in the state, after becoming the first woman in the seat in 2018. . . .
Read the rest at the Argus Leader. The Mitchell Republic's headline was less kind: Gov. Kristi Noem trounces Jamie Smith in South Dakota governor's race.
And my fellow citizens also rejected recreational marijuana ballot measure, Jason Harward reported for the Republic:
As of 11 a.m Wednesday, with a large majority of the votes counted, South Dakotans opposed Initiated Measure 27 by a margin of 52.8% to 47.2%.
"South Dakotans came together as a statewide, non-partisan, grass-roots movement to send a resounding no to the recreational marijuana lobby and yes to protecting our families and our state.," Jim Kinyon, who led Protecting South Dakota Kids, the committee opposing the measure, wrote in a statement declaring victory on Nov. 9.
If approved, the ballot measure would have allowed the “possession, use, and distribution” of up to one ounce of marijuana in the state.
Matthew Schweich, who led South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws, the committee guiding the proponents of the measure, took issue with what he saw as a misleading message by the opposition.
“We share the belief that it's not good for teenagers to use cannabis. Where we differ is the approach,” said Schweich. “They want to use a policy for prohibition that is clearly an abject failure.”
“There is not one thing that the state of South Dakota could do to double our youth rate of marijuana other than passing this bill,” said Jim Kinyon, the committee’s president, pointing to higher rates of youth use in legal states compared to South Dakota.
Opponents of the measure include the mayors of Rapid City and Sioux Falls, as well as several members of law enforcement. At news conferences in the two cities, these officials warned of the potential harm to public safety from passing the measure.
On the public safety front, proponents point to a misleading framing of violent crime statistics during the opposition’s news conferences, which included a graphic that blamed violent crime rates in Arkansas and New Mexico on recreational marijuana. The former has not legalized the substance and the latter only legalized it in 2021. . . .
It wasn't all bad news at the ballot box though, the Republic reported in Effort to expand Medicaid in South Dakota holds strong lead, proponents declare victory in press release.
As for the South Dakota Legislature? The headline at Dakota Free Press spells out the condition of the red swamp in Pierre where Republicans quarrel among themselves: Democrats Gain One Senate Seat, Lose One House Seat, Maintain 11-Member Caucus in 105-Seat Legislature
Image: From Dakota Free Press.
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