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How the Republican divide in deep red South Dakota backfired and led to wins for Dems


Published on 2025-03-29 10:20:40 - Alternet
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  • Six South Dakota lawmakers
  • three Democrats and three Republicans
  • celebrated bipartisan accomplishments Thursday at an annual democracy conference, including their efforts to stop what one legislator called an influx of "bad bills" from reaching the governor's desk.

The article from MSN discusses how internal divisions within the Republican Party in South Dakota, a state known for its conservative leanings, inadvertently led to Democratic victories in recent elections. The discord primarily stemmed from a contentious primary where the GOP establishment backed a candidate, but grassroots and more conservative elements supported another, leading to a split in the party. This division was exacerbated by the influence of Noem, who endorsed candidates in the primary, further alienating some Republicans. As a result, in the general election, Democrats capitalized on this disarray. For instance, in a race for a legislative seat, the Democratic candidate won by a narrow margin after the Republican vote was split between the establishment-backed candidate and a more conservative challenger. This scenario repeated in other races, highlighting how internal GOP strife can lead to unexpected wins for Democrats in a deeply red state.

Read the Full AlterNet Article at:
[ https://www.msn.com/en-ca/politics/government/how-the-republican-divide-in-deep-red-south-dakota-backfired-and-led-to-wins-for-dems/ar-AA1BTZmP ]