South Dakota Secretary Of State Bucks Party, Endorses Democrat To Be Successor

A Republican-favoring state’s incumbent secretary of state endorsed a Democrat to succeed her months after losing the GOP nomination to serve in the position for the following term.

South Dakota Secretary of State Monae Johnson endorsed the Democratic nominee, Terrence Davis, over the Republican nominee, Heather Baxter, to succeed her, according to a Saturday statement by Johnson obtained by Dakota News Now. Johnson’s endorsement comes after she lost the nomination to Baxter in June, 59% to 40%, according to Ballotpedia. By comparison, President Donald Trump won South Dakota with 63% of the vote in 2024. (RELATED: Republican Gubernatorial Nominee Steve Hilton Pledges To Appoint Democrat Senator If Elected)

Neither Johnson’s office nor the campaigns of Baxter and Davis immediately responded to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for comment.

Davis then thanked Johnson for her endorsement in a Saturday post to Facebook.

“I am deeply grateful to have the support of South Dakota Secretary of State Monae Johnson,” Davis wrote. “Monae and I come from different political parties. We will not agree on every issue. That is exactly why her confidence in me means so much.”

In her statement, Johnson expressed her belief that, “hav[ing] spent more than a decade in this office,” she “believe[s] Terrence Davis is the candidate best prepared to protect the office and serve South Dakota with seriousness, steadiness, and integrity.”

“That is why I am asking South Dakotans, Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, independents, and everyone in between, to look beyond the letter beside a candidate’s name, examine the record and temperament of the candidates seeking this responsibility, and vote for Terrence Davis for Secretary of State,” Johnson continued.

Baxter, a South Dakota state representative whose campaign website emphasizes championing election integrity, told POLITICO in a statement that Republicans already looked at their records when choosing to nominate her.

“In June, Republican delegates considered the record and nominated me over incumbent Secretary of State Monae Johnson, 59 percent to 41 percent [sic]. That was not confusion. That was self-government in action,” Baxter stated, the outlet reported Saturday. “The letter beside a name is not decoration. It tells voters what governing philosophy they will carry into the office that runs our elections and business services.”

Rep. Jon Hansen, the speaker of the state’s Republican-controlled House of Representatives, condemned Johnson’s decision in a Saturday post to X.

“South Dakota Republican Secretary of State, after being defeated at the Republican party convention in her reelection bid, is endorsing the Democrat candidate,” Hanson wrote. “Huge mistake! Do NOT hand our elections over to the Democrats! Vote REPUBLICAN Heather Baxter for Secretary of State!”

Baxter, Davis, and Libertarian nominee Tamara Lesnar are ultimately expected to face off Nov. 3, 2026.