SD runoff voters talk decision-making, party switching, ‘the lesser of two evils’

Lucy Burdick didn’t really vote in favor of anybody in Tuesday’s runoff election for the South Dakota Republican Party’s nomination for governor.

She voted against somebody.

“Today we have two choices,” said the 71-year-old Burdick, of Fort Pierre. “Not Toby is who I picked.”

She was talking about her opposition to Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden, who qualified for Tuesday’s runoff by finishing first in a four-way June 2 primary. Doeden failed to reach 35% in that election, which threw him into Tuesday’s top-two contest with the primary’s second-place finisher, Gov. Larry Rhoden.

South Dakota Republicans go to polls in historic runoff for governor nomination

The South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office planned to begin releasing runoff returns after polls close in western South Dakota at 8 p.m. Central, 7 p.m. Mountain on Tuesday.

Burdick said she dislikes Doeden’s pledges to eliminate or phase out property taxes, which she said would “hurt the counties.” All property tax revenue in the state goes to counties, schools, cities and other local governments.

Burdick said in the primary, she voted for U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, who finished third.

Ronald Millar, 71, of Sioux Falls, also voted for Johnson in the primary and said his runoff vote was “more of a vote against Toby Doeden rather than a vote for Larry Rhoden.”

He described Doeden as “more of a sound bite guy than someone who has an understanding of policy.”

“It also came down to trust and the ability to collaborate with others,” Millar said. “I don’t always agree with Rhoden, but he has shown he is willing to listen to and work with others in making decisions about what is best for South Dakota.”

Alfred Slaathaug, 75, of rural Brandon, said he switched his registration from Democrat to Republican so he could vote for “the lesser of two evils” in the runoff, which was only open to Republican voters.

He was one of potentially thousands of party switchers voting Tuesday, judging by the 7,382-person rise in registered South Dakota Republicans during the six weeks between the primary and the runoff registration deadline.

“I changed my party just to vote for Rhoden,” Slaathaug said. “I don’t trust Doeden at all.”

The winner of the runoff will advance to the Nov. 3 general election to face Democratic nominee Dan Ahlers, a former legislator. The last time South Dakota elected a Democratic governor was 52 years ago in 1974.

South Dakota Searchlight reporters also encountered Doeden supporters Tuesday at the polls.

Kris Kluver, 47, of rural Sioux Falls, described Doeden as an “outsider who can bring a different perspective.” Kluver said he previously voted for state House Speaker Jon Hansen, who finished fourth in the primary.

Dawn Geerdes, 58, of Brandon, voted for Doeden in the primary and the runoff and said Doeden “really wants to make South Dakota a good place.”

“There wasn’t anything that didn’t appeal to me about Rhoden,” Geerdes said. “Doeden just had more of what I was looking for. It was a tough race in my head and heart. I was going back and forth.”

At a polling place in Pierre, 55-year-old Scott Isburg said he voted for Rhoden in the primary and the runoff. Isburg said he trusts that Rhoden will “run government in a way that’ll actually work.”

“I was a little bit concerned with some of the potential policies from Toby, whether they would work or not,” Isburg said.

South Dakota Searchlight’s Meghan O’Brien, Joshua Haiar and Makenzie Huber contributed to this report.