Blue wave battered GOP strongholds across America, but one red state held the line
On a night when Democrats made major gains across the country, South Dakota emerged as one of the few Republican strongholds where the GOP largely held its ground — even...
By Fox News · Fox News
On a night when Democrats made major gains across the country, South Dakota emerged as one of the few Republican strongholds where the GOP largely held its ground — even as Democrats made inroads around Sioux Falls. Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden won roughly 63.5% of the vote Tuesday, nearly matching President Donald Trump's 63.4% performance in 2024. Republicans also swept the state's other statewide races and maintained overwhelming control of the legislature, despite Democrats picking up four seats. Rhoden's victory came against Democrat Dan Ahlers, who described himself as a "conservative Democrat" and campaigned on affordability, rural healthcare, education and other kitchen table issues. But his moderate pitch did little to narrow the GOP's commanding statewide advantage, with Ahlers finishing at just 36.5% of the vote. South Dakota's results stood in contrast to several other deeply Republican states where the GOP maintained control but saw its margins shrink considerably. In Idaho and Wyoming, Republican gubernatorial candidates won comfortably but finished with smaller shares of the vote than President Donald Trump secured in 2024. South Dakota's gubernatorial result, by comparison, remained virtually unchanged. DESANTIS CALLS GOP MIDTERM LOSSES 'EXTINCTION-LEVEL EVENT' — AND EXPLAINS WHY FLORIDA SURVIVED David Jolly, the Democratic nominee in Florida, ran a campaign with similar themes to Ahlers' — pointing to the fact that he used to be a Republican and, like Ahlers, prioritized affordability and healthcare while on the campaign trail. Jolly cut the GOP’s vote share to just 50%, roughly six points below the party’s 2024 presidential performance. Tennessee's Democratic gubernatorial nominee inflicted a similarly sharp cut on Republicans' margins by employing a similar strategy. Even down the ballot, South Dakota Republicans largely held their ground, though Democrats managed to flip four legislative seats in the Sioux Falls area, marking their fir…