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Permitting overhaul advances in US Senate with tepid bipartisan support

A proposal to overhaul the federal process for permits to construct energy projects passed a procedural hurdle in the U.S. Senate on Monday, though several Democratic supporters said the legislation needed more work. The Senate voted, 73-25, to advance what’s known as the permitting reform bill, despite opposition…

Young home shoppers still priced out without help, according to survey

The age of the typical first-time homebuyer last year remained stuck at a historic high of 40 years old as younger people continue to get the worst of brutally high prices and interest rates in much of the country. That’s according to new data from the National Association of Realtors, and it’s the second year

Medicaid expansion supporter hopes lawmakers ‘move on’ after latest ballot fight

After South Dakota voters rejected a ballot question Tuesday that could have triggered a repeal of the state’s Medicaid expansion mandate, some people who worked to defeat the measure said lawmakers should listen to voters and stop tinkering with the program. Some lawmakers, meanwhile, remain concerned about the…

Commentary: Law and disorder: a troubling trend among South Dakota Republican lawmakers

In January, it looks like some legislators in the Republican Party may have to attend their caucus meetings via Zoom. There’s a chance they could be in court or jail. Three Republican lawmakers have faced or are facing criminal charges since the last legislative session. We’ve all heard that government is corrupt, but…

GOP Congress faces funding deadline, farm bill, lengthy to-do list in year-end session

WASHINGTON — Voters may have given Democrats control of Congress in the midterm elections, but Republicans will remain in charge of both chambers during the lame-duck session that spans November and December. The relatively brief five-week schedule, which begins Monday, gives GOP leaders a chance to wrap up unfinished…

Mastermind of immigration crackdown Stephen Miller named Trump chief of staff

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Friday he will elevate Stephen Miller to White House chief of staff, the first shake-up of his administration officials since Democrats trounced Republicans in the midterms. Former Chief of Staff Susie Wiles will move to the “Trump Political Operation,” the president…

Soil health key to improving human health, RFK Jr. says in visit to North Dakota ranch

The top U.S. health official visited a ranch near Bismarck Thursday where he talked about the importance of soil health for human health. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke at a roughly 90-minute roundtable on regenerative agriculture at the Black Leg Ranch east of Bismarck. Reporters…

Tribal chairs tell RFK Jr. they need federal resources to improve their own healthcare

Native American communities experience some of the highest disparities in healthcare in the country. Tribal chairs are hoping to work with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who visited North Dakota Thursday, to remedy that. A major theme of the tribal chairs’ comments Thursday was the…

Podcast: What South Dakota’s blue ‘ripple’ means for the state Democratic Party

Though they didn’t win any statewide seats, South Dakota Democrats gained ground in the Legislature after Tuesday’s election for the first time since 2008, bringing their numbers from eight to 12 out of 105 total legislators. Shane Merrill, the state party’s chair, joined the Searchlight Report podcast to talk about…

Still focused on D.C. projects, Trump signs order preserving Oval Office

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to establish the Oval Office and White House Cabinet Room as a national monument in order to prevent any major renovations to those spaces that are not approved by Congress. Trump, who tore down the East Wing of the White House to build a ballroom,

Trump’s gerrymandering push flops as Democrats win redrawn seats

Alabama Republicans had hoped Rep. Shomari Figures would deliver a concession speech on Tuesday night after the state legislature redrew his district to be more GOP-friendly. Instead, the Democrat declared victory — winning nearly 54% of the vote. “We know what happened with this district,” Figures told supporters as…

Departing US representative scheduled to lead civic discourse series on critical issues

South Dakota’s soon-to-be-former U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson will begin a statewide speaker series this evening aimed at encouraging civil discourse, critical thinking and long-term solutions to some of the country’s greatest challenges. “I think America makes the best decisions when we plan for the long-term and when we…

Commentary: The ‘blue tsunami’ brings a ripple of hope to South Dakota Democrats

By the time Tuesday’s “blue tsunami” washed in from the coasts and reached South Dakota, it was a ripple. State Democrats added four legislative seats, moving from eight to 12. It was the first time in 18 years Democrats have gained ground in the 105-member Legislature. Otherwise, South Dakota stayed Republican red as…

Democrats won Congress. Now they have to figure out how to deal with Trump.

WASHINGTON — Democratic leaders in Congress have just a couple months to decide how they want to balance investigations into President Donald Trump and his administration with securing his signature on major bills to address the cost of living, a top concern for voters. While Democrats gained control of the House and…

Trump accepts the blue tsunami, despite months of election legal battles, threats

Ahead of the midterms, Democrats wargamed dozens of scenarios looking at how President Donald Trump might try to undermine the election, everything from seizing voting machines to falsely declaring a foreign attack. But when the blue tsunami arrived Tuesday night, Trump seemed to let it wash right over him. In a…

‘Losing our voice’: South Dakota general election turnout falls to historic low

South Dakota’s general election voter turnout dropped to a historic low Tuesday, with 49% of registered voters casting a ballot. Turnout is generally lower in non-presidential election years, according to data from the Secretary of State’s Office dating to 1964. The state’s previous low for a general election was 52%…

Vance and Trump blame midterm GOP elections loss on their war in Iran

The fingerpointing is coming from inside the house. Vice President JD Vance said in a lengthy social media post Wednesday that Republicans’ shellacking in the midterm elections the night before was mainly due to the administration’s war in Iran. Though Vance sought to soften the blow to President Donald Trump by…

The election is over. What’s supposed to happen next for Congress?

WASHINGTON — Voting ended Tuesday in this year’s midterm elections, leaving officials and volunteers counting tens of millions of ballots to determine which U.S. House and Senate candidates will take the oath of office in January. The post-election process includes numerous steps and varying deadlines for when ballots…

Democrats gain seats in South Dakota Legislature for the first time since 2008

No Democrat won a statewide race Tuesday in South Dakota, but the party picked up four seats in the Legislature. Nationally, Democrats racked up historic gains. They retook control of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, and scored major state-level wins, including the governorship in Texas for the first time…

Who is Hakeem Jeffries? Meet the likely first Black speaker of the US House.

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries got one step closer to becoming the next speaker after Democrats delivered a sweeping victory in the midterm elections. If elected by a majority of House members, Jeffries would make history as the first Black person to hold the gavel. The 56-year-old Brooklynite…

2026 South Dakota general election results

See below for results from South Dakota statewide races, statewide ballot questions and legislative races. For news coverage and commentary about South Dakota’s election, see Searchlight’s Election 2026 page. For local election results, such as county, city and school races and questions, see the South Dakota…

Republicans win races for South Dakota statewide offices, including secretary of state

Republicans won all the races Tuesday for South Dakota’s lesser-known statewide offices: secretary of state, attorney general, public utilities commissioner, auditor, treasurer, and commissioner of school and public lands. The Associated Press called the secretary of state race at 1:33 a.m. Wednesday for Republican…

The blue tsunami sweeps the US, as Democrats land huge gains in Congress

Voters across the country administered a sharp reprimand to President Donald Trump and Republicans who hold majorities in Congress, with Democrats gaining comfortable majorities in the Senate and the House. Several U.S. Senate and House races remained uncalled by The Associated Press as Election Day ended on the East…

South Dakotans approve a state constitutional ban on noncitizens voting

South Dakota voters approved a state constitutional amendment Tuesday specifying that non-U.S. citizens are disqualified from voting. The Associated Press called the race at 12:05 a.m. Wednesday with 62% of the votes in favor of Amendment J and 38% against it. About 72% of statewide votes had been counted. The state…

Republican US senator defeats independent challenger in South Dakota

A well-funded challenge by an independent fell short Tuesday as Republican U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota won reelection. Rounds led Brian Bengs 62% to 38% when The Associated Press called the race at about 11 p.m. Central time with 58% of statewide votes counted. Another six-year term for the 72-year-old…

Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden wins four more years leading South Dakota

After a whirlwind three elections in five months, South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden has won his own four-year term. The Republican was leading Democratic challenger Dan Ahlers 64% to 36% on Tuesday when The Associated Press called the race at about 10:45 p.m. Central time with 52% of the votes counted statewide. Rhoden’s…

Attorney general of South Dakota wins election to US House

South Dakota’s Republican attorney general was elected to the state’s only U.S. House seat on Tuesday. Marty Jackley led his Democratic opponent, Nikki Gronli, 65% to 35% when The Associated Press called the race at 10:03 p.m. Central time with 43% of the votes counted statewide. Jackley will take over in January for…

Democrats score control of US Senate in stunning midterm victory

WASHINGTON — In a stunning upset, Democrats ousted Republicans and flipped control of the U.S. Senate Tuesday night, effectively establishing a barricade for President Donald Trump’s agenda for the last two years of his term. Democrats will now have the power to block many of Trump’s nominees, both executive and…

Democrats win sizable US House majority amid sweep of close races

WASHINGTON — Democrats will regain control of the U.S. House early next year, after voters throughout the country rejected the policies that Republicans and President Donald Trump implemented during the last two years. The Associated Press, which States Newsroom looks to for the projected winner of congressional…

Trump promotes Reflecting Pool renovation the day before the election

WASHINGTON — One day before his party is forecast to lose control of the U.S. House, and possibly the Senate, President Donald Trump gathered guests and press at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool to tout the “magnificent” renovation of the monument — a monthslong project plagued by algae, reclosure and false…

US Supreme Court rejects Trump DOJ’s attempt to freeze California vote counting

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday, mere hours before Election Day in the midterms that will determine control of Congress, denied the Trump administration’s final attempt to force California to set aside the ballots of 20,000 people it suspects are noncitizens. The decision marked a significant blow to President Donald…

Commentary: Rural South Dakota’s growth strategy has to start under a roof

On any given day in Sisseton, Milbank or Winner, you will pass an employer with a hiring sign in the window, or you will see an advertisement on social media or in the local newspaper. Some have been advertising for six months. Some for a year. The applicants are out there, and they’re interested. The

Explosive spending, ugly ads and courtroom battles set stage for tense midterm elections

WASHINGTON — When the polls close Tuesday night, the 2026 U.S. election will go down as one of history’s most expensive and extraordinarily ugly midterms — galvanizing record-breaking early voter turnout among a deeply divided electorate. Voters on Saturday crossed the high-water mark of 52.7 million early votes cast…

Pell Grants will fill gap in welding program for Sioux Falls prison inmates

Inmates in the Sioux Falls area can now access Pell Grants to pay for slots in welding courses in the community and diesel mechanic courses inside prison walls. Students can apply for federally funded Pell Grants to help them pay for post-secondary education. Since 2023, inmates in the U.S. have been allowed to apply…

Trump loses appeals over California ballots, Homeland Security operations

A federal appeals court on Friday denied a Trump administration demand that California set aside and not count the ballots of 20,000 suspected noncitizen voters, setting the stage for a possible appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against a U.S…

Federal subpoenas to election officials mark escalating Trump DOJ pressure campaign

As the Trump administration waged a public legal fight with California over the ballots of suspected noncitizen voters in mid-October, behind the scenes a federal grand jury in Santa Ana issued a series of subpoenas to election officials in Los Angeles County at federal prosecutors’ urging. The subpoenas demanded a…

As Platte-Winner Bridge construction begins, future Missouri River projects loom

The South Dakota Department of Transportation estimates it will need to replace nearly 900 bridges or culverts over the next several decades, which could cost about $5 billion, according to a presentation Thursday to the state Transportation Commission. That includes the planned replacement of five bridges that cross…

Early voting sets nationwide midterms record, breaking 2022 mark

WASHINGTON — As of early Friday, more than 46 million Americans had cast ballots ahead of Election Day, eclipsing the early voting turnout of the 2022 midterms, according to the University of Florida’s Election Lab. In the 2022 midterm elections, 45.9 million Americans voted early, according to the UF Election Lab…

Listen again: All of Searchlight Report’s candidate and ballot-question interviews

Throughout this campaign season, Searchlight Report podcast episodes have featured interviews with candidates for major statewide offices and people from each side of the four statewide ballot questions. With Election Day approaching on Tuesday, see below for all of those interviews with candidates for governor, U.S…

In a blizzard of lawsuits, Trump’s DOJ battles across the US over midterm elections

The Trump administration’s sweeping efforts to combat noncitizen voting and assert authority over elections came under intense scrutiny in courtrooms across the country on Thursday, as Democrats and voting rights groups alleged federal election interference. A federal judge in Washington, D.C., ordered the U.S…

Where are the tightest races for US House control right now? Here’s the rundown.

WASHINGTON — Communities throughout the country have been inundated with television ads and outside spending as politicians try to spur voter turnout in the most competitive U.S. House races in Tuesday’s midterm elections. The focus on a short list of campaigns highlights how much power voters in a small number of…

Time for change? Permanent daylight saving time bill awaiting US Senate action

Most of the nation returns to standard time Sunday morning, and Congress could decide as early as next month whether it will be the last time people have to change their clocks. President Donald Trump wants year-round daylight saving time. The U.S. House voted overwhelmingly in July for the change. Lots of Democrats…

DHS targeting naturalized Americans in voter investigations, civil rights groups say

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is unlawfully scrutinizing naturalized U.S. citizens and placing them at risk of disenfranchisement, civil rights groups alleged in a lawsuit Wednesday, less than a week before Election Day. The lawsuit, filed in California, came as Homeland Security asked for an emergency…

Public comment period opens as company seeks state permits for uranium mine

A company that wants to mine for uranium in southwestern South Dakota is restarting its state permitting process and preparing for a public hearing after securing federal permits earlier this year. Uranium is a metallic, radioactive element used as fuel in nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants. Interest in uranium…

Courts to decide fate of Trump’s latest push to control voting as Election Day nears

Less than a week before Election Day, President Donald Trump’s unprecedented drive for power over elections has set the stage for a series of courtroom fights that could quickly lead to a high-stakes showdown at the U.S. Supreme Court over the limits of federal authority. Democrats and voting rights advocates have…

Early voting surges in midterm elections as millions cast their ballots

WASHINGTON — Tens of millions of Americans have already made their way to the ballot box as early voting is underway in a midterm election that will determine control of the House and the Senate, possibly flipping one or both from Republicans to Democrats. As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 34 million people have…

Trump’s DOJ sends 1,000 election monitors to 50 states

The U.S. Department of Justice plans to send election monitors to every state ahead of Election Day, expanding a long-standing practice that’s spurred concern this year among Democrats and voting rights advocates because of President Donald Trump’s push to influence elections. The Justice Department for decades has…

Rising prices squeeze more Americans ahead of pivotal midterm elections

Americans’ growing frustration over high prices has defined many political campaigns ahead of November’s midterm elections. Rising costs of healthcare, gas and groceries during President Donald Trump’s second term have put Republicans on defense, not only in Washington, but in statehouse and gubernatorial races across…

South Dakota task force recommends bills to move toward ambulance service regions

Creating eight to 14 ambulance service regions might help preserve sustainable access to emergency medical care in South Dakota, according to lawmakers on a legislative study group. The group’s members cautioned, however, that it will take years to hash out where those regions might be, how large they’d be, and how…

2026 US ballot measures are written at a graduate-school reading level, report finds

This year’s statewide ballot measures are written, on average, at a graduate-school reading level, according to a new report. The readability of 2026’s ballot questions — which ask voters to weigh in on issues as varied as abortion, property taxes, voter ID and firearms — varies by state, political data tracking…

Independent US Senate candidate in South Dakota backed by Forward Party

SIOUX FALLS — South Dakota’s independent U.S. Senate candidate, Brian Bengs, said Sunday he “would probably not be here in a competitive position today” without the support he’s gotten from a new political party co-founded by a former Democrat and a former Republican. Bengs appeared alongside the Forward Party’s CEO…

‘We don’t want it’: Voter backlash against data centers consumes midterm elections

SPRINGDALE, Pa. — Residents in a small southwestern Pennsylvania town are facing the prospect of a 47-acre data center facility on their doorstep. “Right here behind this fence is where they want to put up the data center, and as you can see, there’s houses right across the street, roughly 100 feet,” said lifelong…

Commentary: Candidates running as independents don’t always seem, well, independent

As if South Dakota’s two-party system wasn’t weak enough, now there are a slew of independent candidates up and down the ballot. While the number of independents running for the Legislature is unusual, it’s hard to tell just how independent those candidates will be. South Dakota’s two-party system is weak because…

Most US House races aren’t competitive. What does that mean for how lawmakers govern?

WASHINGTON — Fewer than 5% of U.S. House races are seen by a top political analysis as truly competitive heading into November’s midterm elections, giving relatively few voters the ability to determine which party controls the chamber for the next two years. The other 414 of 435 House districts are viewed by the…

Montanta Public Service Commission to take up NorthWestern, Black Hills merger

The Montana Public Service Commission is scheduled to take up the $15.4 billion merger proposal by NorthWestern Energy and Black Hills Corp. on Tuesday. PSC legal and regulatory staff recommend approval of the merger. NorthWestern Energy, the largest public utility in Montana, has argued the merger will not harm…

National groups power spending against higher bar for constitutional amendments

Groups opposing a higher bar for approving state constitutional amendments have so far outspent supporters of the ballot question by nearly $2 million, according to campaign finance reports filed this week. L-No, a state-level ballot question committee formed to defeat the proposal, has raised over $2.2 million —…

Trump’s DOJ sues over Alaska Senate race, expanding preelection legal fights

The U.S. Department of Justice is stepping up its legal campaign over the midterm elections, suing Alaska over its U.S. Senate election and appealing a lawsuit against suspected noncitizen voters in California. Election law experts have cast doubt on the strength of the cases, criticizing them as performative. The…

A record number of women are running for state legislatures this year

A record number of women are running for state legislative seats this November, more than two-thirds of whom are Democrats. Across the 46 states with legislative seats on the ballot, a total of 3,824 women are running — up from 2022’s previous record of 3,621 women candidates, according to the Center for American…

‘Not only convenient, but necessary’: Voices of mail-in voters

Byron Sutter has been voting by mail for years, ever since he worked in healthcare and couldn’t leave his patients to vote in person. Mary Ann Klarenbeek votes by mail because she has breathing problems and can’t stand in line at a polling place. John Jeratowski travels for work as a journeyman electrician and would

Work begins on spendiest bridge project in South Dakota history

State and federal officials on Thursday heralded the start of a yearslong, $290 million project to replace the “vital lifeline” that is South Dakota’s longest bridge. State Highway 44’s Platte-Winner Bridge, which opened in 1966, is more than a mile long and crosses the Missouri River in the southeastern part of the…

Dems in Congress say they’re wary Trump won’t accept results of election

As Election Day approaches, top Democrats on the intelligence committees in Congress are preparing for the possibility that President Donald Trump will allege foreign interference to discredit unfavorable results. And they want leading U.S. intelligence officials to be immediately reachable if he does. Sen. Mark…

In 6 states, including South Dakota, ballots include bans on noncitizen voting

Voters in six states are considering ballot measures in the midterm elections that would make it clear that only U.S. citizens may vote — and block local governments from expanding that right to others. Proposed constitutional amendments or law changes in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, South Dakota and West…

Cost of employer-sponsored health insurance plans rises again, nonpartisan survey finds

WASHINGTON — The price health insurance companies charge for employer-sponsored plans increased again this year, as did the deductible many people must pay before those plans begin covering most healthcare costs, according to a survey released Thursday by the nonpartisan health organization KFF. The cost of individual…

Judge blocks Homeland Security from conducting election-related sweeps in 9 states

A federal judge on Wednesday night blocked the Department of Homeland Security from conducting election-related field operations that could sweep up U.S. citizens in nine states. Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín, an appointee of President Joe Biden in U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California, issued a…