South Dakota GOP Official Endorses Democrat for Secretary of State

South Dakota's Republican Secretary of State Monae Johnson has broken with her party to endorse the Democratic candidate for the office, Terrence Davis, stating that "the integrity, stability, and professionalism of this office is at stake."

Johnson, who is a Republican, announced her endorsement over the weekend in a column published on the conservative politics blog South Dakota War College. She cited Davis's law enforcement experience and his educational background in law and policy as reasons for her support. Johnson also acknowledged that her decision might disappoint or anger some members of her party.

Johnson lost the Republican nomination for secretary of state at the state GOP convention in June to Heather Baxter. Baxter's campaign website has previously stated her alignment with former President Donald Trump and his concerns regarding voter rolls, mail-in ballots, and voting machines. An earlier version of her website indicated support for replacing voting machines with hand-counting ballots, a stance often promoted by those who question election integrity.

Baxter has downplayed Johnson's endorsement of her opponent, suggesting it was unsurprising that Johnson would prefer someone who would maintain the status quo. Earlier this year, Baxter sponsored, though ultimately unsuccessfully, a bill to prohibit the use of automatic tabulating systems for ballots.

Regarding her past statements on hand-counting ballots, Baxter said on Monday that she had altered the wording on her website because she does not have the authority to change tallying methods and trusts local auditors. The use of hand-counting has been shown to be more time-consuming and prone to errors compared to tabulator machines.

Baxter stated that Trump's agenda on voting and elections generally reinforces current election laws. Her campaign website now states she advocates for Trump's agenda on voting and elections. Trump has made efforts to influence federal election operations and has promoted narratives questioning election outcomes, including the 2020 presidential election.

South Dakota has a history of voting Republican in presidential elections, and no Democrat has held statewide office in the state since 2015. Johnson's endorsement marks a notable departure from her own past campaign rhetoric, where she focused on "election integrity" and was hesitant to confirm Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election.

Johnson's tenure has also faced scrutiny. The chair of the South Dakota Republican Party, Jim Eschenbaum, mentioned that delegates became critical of Johnson after she failed to appear before a legislative committee to address questions about a contract awarded by her office to an electronic poll book company, an issue that eventually required a subpoena.

Davis, the Democratic candidate, has emphasized that the secretary of state's office is intended to be nonpartisan and serve all residents fairly.