South Dakota Secretary of State Endorses Democrat to Succeed Her After Losing GOP Nomination

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, according to a Saturday statement by Johnson obtained by Dakota News Now. The endorsement comes after Johnson 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.

Davis 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 said that, having spent more than a decade in the office, she believes 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 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 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," Hansen wrote. "Huge mistake! Do NOT hand our elections over to the Democrats! Vote REPUBLICAN Heather Baxter for Secretary of State!"

Baxter told the DCNF she was "not particularly" surprised by Johnson's decision. "Secretary Johnson and I disagreed on the direction of this office — that's exactly why Republican delegates overwhelmingly chose a change in June," Baxter said Saturday. "It's not surprising she'd rather back someone who won't change what she's built. Pseudo Republicans have long infiltrated the party, changing their voter registrations from Democrat to Republican. South Dakota's illusion of ruby red is being exposed!"

Asked what Johnson's endorsement of a Democrat could signal to campaigns outside South Dakota, Baxter said an outgoing officeholder crossing party lines to back the opposing party's nominee, in a race where their own party ousted them, is a notable "sore loser or good-faith institutionalist."
Baxter, Davis and Libertarian nominee Tamara Lesnar are ultimately expected to face off Nov. 3, 2026.