South Dakota election 2022

Gov. Kristi Noem delivers her second inaugural address Jan. 7, 2023, at the Capitol in Pierre. (South Dakota Inaugural Committee)

Noem’s inaugural address: Read, watch the speech

BY: - January 9, 2023

Gov. Kristi Noem was sworn in Saturday for her second term. Below is the prepared text of her speech as provided by the Governor’s Office, and video coverage of the ceremony and speech from South Dakota Public Broadcasting.   Jan. 7, 2023 Remarks as prepared and provided by the Governor’s Office: Four years ago, I […]

Tripp County will be the first South Dakota county in two decades to hand count ballots in an election, according to the Secretary of State's Office. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight)

Tabulator catches human error in Tripp County post-election audit

BY: - November 15, 2022

The case of Tripp County’s 75 “missing” ballots has been solved, County Auditor Barb Desersa said this week. The discrepancy emerged last week after a hand count of ballots in the only county in South Dakota in nearly 20 years to perform one. The mismatch does not have any impact on election results. Tripp County […]

A sign in Rapid City, South Dakota, encourages people to vote in favor of Amendment D, a measure to expand Medicaid eligibility for state residents.

South Dakota voters approved Medicaid expansion, but implementation may not be easy

BY: - November 14, 2022

RAPID CITY, S.D. — South Dakotans voted last week to expand the state’s Medicaid program to cover thousands of additional low-income residents, becoming the seventh state to approve expansion via the ballot box. But as other conservative states have shown, voter approval doesn’t always mean politicians and administrators will rush to implement the change. In […]

Gov. Kristi Noem of South Dakota meets with supporters in Rapid City on Nov. 7, 2022.

Record-setting number of women elected as governors in midterms

BY: - November 10, 2022

WASHINGTON —  The United States’ ceiling for female governors was shattered this week, with voters in 12 states electing women to the role, breaking the prior record of nine set for the first time back in 2004. While not all of the gubernatorial campaigns have been called as of Thursday afternoon, Arizona and Oregon voters had two […]

The Minnehaha County Courthouse in Sioux Falls, pictured on Nov. 1, 2022. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight)

Prosecutors win judgeships in two state court circuits

BY: - November 9, 2022

The longtime Lawrence County State’s Attorney will ride out the twilight of his legal career on the bench in South Dakota’s Fourth Judicial Circuit. John H. Fitzgerald, 67, bested four other candidates Tuesday for the single open seat in the circuit – the largest slate of candidates for a single judgeship since the 1972 election. […]

A vote-here sign, pictured on Nov. 8, 2022, at the All Souls Church on Cliff Avenue in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

State prepares to implement Medicaid expansion next summer, expects ‘significant’ hiring

BY: - November 9, 2022

A solid majority of South Dakotans voted to expand eligibility for the state’s Medicaid programs Tuesday.  Constitutional Amendment D passed with 56% of the vote, or 191,781 votes, according to unofficial reporting from the Secretary of State’s Office. “It’s long overdue,” said Rick Weiland, committee chair and treasurer for Dakotans for Health, which campaigned in […]

A Sioux Falls election polling place on the morning of Nov. 8, 2022. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

Voters back Medicaid expansion, lean against recreational cannabis

BY: - November 9, 2022

South Dakotans voted to expand eligibility for the state’s Medicaid programs Tuesday. Constitutional Amendment D was winning with 56% of the vote as of 1 a.m. Nov. 9, or roughly 166,879 votes. While the state is one of 12 that hadn’t expanded eligibility for its Medicaid programs, it was the only state to feature the […]

Gov. Kristi Noem greeting her mother, Corrine Arnold, before giving a victory speech upon her re-election.

Kristi Noem wins second term as South Dakota governor

BY: - November 9, 2022

In the run-up to election day, Democrats in South Dakota believed they saw hopeful signs in the governor’s race. An SDSU poll put Democratic candidate Jamie Smith within striking distance of incumbent Republican Gov. Kristi Noem. The Smith crew also pointed to internal polling that suggested a strong potential for the Sioux Falls lawmaker, who […]

A vote-here sign, pictured on Nov. 8, 2022, at the All Souls Church on Cliff Avenue in Sioux Falls. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

LIVE Coverage: Election 2022

BY: - November 8, 2022

Voters headed to the polls Tuesday across all 66 counties in South Dakota. They cast ballots for Governor, U.S. Senator, U.S. Congressman, and decided on statewide candidates for offices like Secretary of State and Public Utilities Commissioner. On the local level, 105 seats in the South Dakota Senate and House of Representatives were up for […]