South Dakota Secretary of State election, 2026
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← 2022
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| South Dakota Secretary of State |
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 |
| General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: — |
| General: November 3, 2026 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times:
7 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2026 Impact of term limits in 2026 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026 |
| South Dakota executive elections |
| Governor Lieutenant Governor |
South Dakota is holding an election for secretary of state on November 3, 2026.
In South Dakota, political parties select their state executive candidates at conventions rather than through primaries, with the governor being the only exception. As of December 2025, the dates of the conventions had not yet been announced. To learn more about other elections on the ballot, click here.
Candidates and election results
Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:
- Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
- Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies
General election
The general election will occur on November 3, 2026.
General election for South Dakota Secretary of State
Incumbent Monae Johnson and Terrence Davis are running in the general election for South Dakota Secretary of State on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
 | Monae Johnson (R) | |
 | Terrence Davis (D)  | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.
Party: Democratic Party
Incumbent: No
Political Office: None
Submitted Biography: "A husband, father, and former state trooper in both Tennessee and South Dakota, is running for South Dakota Secretary of State to restore trust in elections and ensure government serves the people – not politics. With degrees in Criminal Justice and Public Policy, and now pursuing a Doctorate in Policy and Law, he brings proven experience and a deep commitment to transparency, accountability, and service."
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Survey responses from candidates in this race
Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
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Terrence Davis (D)
Pledged to bring “transparency” and “accountability” to the office.
make voting “both secure and accessible, especially for rural communities.”
Terrence Davis (D)
Terrence Davis (D)
Terrence Davis (D)
You can ask candidates in this race to fill out the survey by clicking their names below:
Voting information
- See also: Voting in South Dakota
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
Past elections
The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2014.
2022
General election
General election for South Dakota Secretary of State
Monae Johnson defeated Tom Cool in the general election for South Dakota Secretary of State on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Monae Johnson (R) | 63.9 | 212,348 |
 | Tom Cool (D) | 36.1 | 119,975 | |
| Total votes: 332,323 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Kurt Evans (L)
Democratic convention
Democratic convention for South Dakota Secretary of State
Tom Cool advanced from the Democratic convention for South Dakota Secretary of State on July 9, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Tom Cool (D) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican convention
Republican convention for South Dakota Secretary of State
Monae Johnson defeated incumbent Steve Barnett in the Republican convention for South Dakota Secretary of State on June 25, 2022.
Candidate | ||
 | Steve Barnett (R) | |
| ✔ | | Monae Johnson (R) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for South Dakota Secretary of State
Kurt Evans advanced from the Libertarian convention for South Dakota Secretary of State on April 23, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Kurt Evans (L) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
General election
General election for South Dakota Secretary of State
Steve Barnett defeated Alexandra Frederick in the general election for South Dakota Secretary of State on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Steve Barnett (R) | 65.2 | 211,064 |
 | Alexandra Frederick (D) | 34.8 | 112,807 | |
| Total votes: 323,871 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2014
Republican Shantel Krebs won election on November 4, 2014.
| Secretary of State of South Dakota, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Shantel Krebs |
60.2% | 155,647 | |
| Democratic | Angelia Schultz | 32.6% | 84,181 | |
| Constitution | Lori Stacey | 4% | 10,258 | |
| Libertarian | Emmett Reistroffer | 3.2% | 8,328 | |
| Total Votes | 258,414 | |||
| Election results via South Dakota Secretary of State | ||||
Election analysis
Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
- Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
- State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
- Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
Cook PVI by congressional district
| District | Incumbent | PVI |
|---|---|---|
| South Dakota's At-Large | Dusty Johnson | R+15 |
2024 presidential results by 2026 congressional district lines
| District | Kamala Harris  |
Donald Trump  |
|---|---|---|
| South Dakota's At-Large | 34.0% | 63.0% |
| Source: The Downballot | ||
2016-2024
How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:
| County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
| Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
| Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
| New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
| Republican | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
| Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
| Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
| New Republican | D | D | R | ||||
Following the 2024 presidential election, 94.8% of South Dakotans lived in one of the state's 60 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2016 to 2024, and 4.9% lived in one of 5 Solid Democratic counties. Overall, South Dakota was Solid Republican, having voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016, Donald Trump (R) in 2020, and Donald Trump (R) in 2024. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in South Dakota following the 2024 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.
| South Dakota county-level statistics, 2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid Republican | 60 | 94.8% | |||||
| Solid Democratic | 5 | 4.9% | |||||
| Battleground Republican | 1 | 0.3% | |||||
| Total voted Democratic | 5 | 4.9% | |||||
| Total voted Republican | 61 | 95.1% | |||||
Historical voting trends
South Dakota presidential election results (1900-2024)
- 3 Democratic wins
- 28 Republican wins
- 1 other win
| Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winning Party | R | R | R | P[1] | R | R | R | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.
U.S. Senate elections
The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in South Dakota.
Gubernatorial elections
- See also: Governor of South Dakota
The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in South Dakota.
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of South Dakota's congressional delegation as of October 2025.
| Congressional Partisan Breakdown from South Dakota | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
| Democratic | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vacancies | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 1 | 3 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in South Dakota's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.
| Office | Officeholder |
|---|---|
| Governor | Larry Rhoden |
| Lieutenant Governor | Tony Venhuizen |
| Secretary of State | Monae Johnson |
| Attorney General | Marty J. Jackley |
State legislature
South Dakota State Senate
| Party | As of October 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 3 | |
| Republican Party | 32 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 35 | |
South Dakota House of Representatives
| Party | As of October 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 6 | |
| Republican Party | 64 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 70 | |
Trifecta control
South Dakota Party Control: 1992-2025
No Democratic trifectas • Thirty-two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
The table below details demographic data in South Dakota and compares it to the broader United States as of 2023.
| Demographic Data for South Dakota | ||
|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | United States | |
| Population | 886,667 | 331,449,281 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 75,807 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 81.5% | 63.4% |
| Black/African American | 2.2% | 12.4% |
| Asian | 1.4% | 5.8% |
| Native American | 7.7% | 0.9% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| Other (single race) | 1.4% | 6.6% |
| Multiple | 5.6% | 10.7% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 4.6% | 19% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 93% | 89.4% |
| College graduation rate | 31.1% | 35% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $72,421 | $78,538 |
| Persons below poverty level | 12% | 12.4% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2018-2023). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Secretary of State elections in 2026
There are 26 secretary of state seats on the ballot in 2026.
See also
| South Dakota | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Progressive Party
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