MyDD :: South Dakota Special Election

South Dakota Special Election

by Jerome Armstrong, Tue Jun 01, 2004 at 09:26:54 PM EST

```
 94% Reporting
  HERSETH 	D  	118,461 	50.58%
  DIEDRICH 	R  	115,762 	49.42%
```
A couple of the remaining rural Republican counties that had been outstanding, Butte and Hansen, have come in, giving Diedrich about a 500 vote jump, besides a few more hundred that Diedrich will get from the 5 outstanding precincts in Reddington, that's it for him tonight. Herseth will get an extra ~3,000, depending on turnout, from Shannon and Todd counties, which will bump the margin up to around 51-49.
```
 89% Reporting
  HERSETH 	D  	114,817 	51%
  DIEDRICH 	R  	111,380 	49%
```
There are at least an additional 3,000 more ballots to be counted in Minnehaha County, according to local station KSFY, as blogged by Republican Jay Reding (that will pad Herseth's lead a bit). Herseth may be making an appearance shortly, which will be carried live by SD Public radio. Minnehaha is 99% counted, and Herseth leads 54-46, and in Pennington, now 80% counted, Diedrich leads 57-43. It's all over but the victory speech by Herseth.
```
 87% Reporting
  HERSETH 	D       111,700  51%
  DIEDRICH 	R  	107,643  49%
```
It looks closer than it's going to be. Two mostly Native American counties, Shannon and Todd, have not reported. In the 2002 election, here were the results in these two counties:
SHANNON: Thune-248 vs Johnson-2856
TODD: Thune-464 vs Johnson-2027
So, Herseth has won. The Democrats have won two special elections in a row in Republican districts. 11 more needed to takeaway in the November general to take back the House.
```
82% Reporting
  HERSETH 	D  	103,410 51%
  DIEDRICH 	R  	99,109 	49%
```
Again from SD public broadcasting, reporting from the Democratic HQ's in Sioux Falls, "People are a bit nervous, and waiting to celebrate a victory, and the tension is thick, and the room is getting more and more full... people saying, 'boy, it's going to be close." They should start partying, Herseth is going to win. IN the GOP HQ's in Sioux Falls, they are reporting more energy, about 250 supporters are there, rallying, saying 'it's not over till it's over', and 'waiting till the end'; they might as well get drunk, Diedrich is toast (though he's going to get his <5% downplayed momentum in a +10% GOP registration state).
```
74% Reporting
  HERSETH 	D  	91,673 	51%
  DIEDRICH 	R  	87,401 	49%
```
In the 2002 election, Thune beat Johnson in Pennington County by a 61-39 margin; currently, with 33% of Pennington reporting, Diedrich is leading Herseth by a 53-47% margin. Also from 2002, in Minnehaha County, Johson beat Thune by a 52-48% margin; currently, Herseth leads in Minnehaha by a 54-46% margin, with 87% reporting. Herseth is going to win.
```
60% Reporting
  HERSETH 	D  	70,613 	51%
  DIEDRICH 	R  	67,344 	49%
```
South Dakota public radio broadcasting (mostly great jazz, but updates every half hour) is reporting that they expect the margin to become even tighter than the current 52-48 margin. Public nudity has been banned in Cook County, with 73% in favor of the ban. 25% of Pennington is reporting, with Diedrich leading by a slim 52-48 margin.
```
 52% Reporting
  HERSETH       D        59000  52% 
  DIEDRICH      R        55261  48%          
```
Over half of the votes in, and Herseth has a lead of 3739 votes. 66% of Minnehaha is now in, where Herseth leads by a 54-46 margin; still nothing in from Pennington, where Diedrich is expected to get a majority of the votes.
```
 45% Reporting
  HERSETH 	D  	49,022 	52%
  DIEDRICH 	R  	45,518 	48%
```
And now with 45% of the total vote counted (and nothing further from the two biggest counties), and Herseth maintains her lead. A couple of other blogs that are posting updates, for the GOP in SD, and for the DCCC out of SD; and of course Daily Kos. Democratic Underground's special election thread is hopping a lot more than the freepers.
```
30% Reporting
  HERSETH 	D  	35,518 	52%
  DIEDRICH 	R  	32,276 	48%
```
Well, 43% of the vote has been counted in Minnehaha, and Herseth leads in that county by a 57-43 margin. Nothing still in from Pennington. Herseth people are on pins and needles; Diedrich people have successfully lowered expectations, and yet have a chance to win.
```
 25% Reporting
  HERSETH 	D  	30,497 	53%
  DIEDRICH 	R  	26,908 	47%
```
Not much change. Still nothing in from Pennington, and nothing further from Minnehaha, so that's leaving this one up in the air. If Diedrich comes in with +60% from Pennington, this could get even tighter. I'm following the county results here.
```
13% Reporting
  HERSETH 	D  	14,749 	55%
  DIEDRICH 	R  	12,192 	45%
```
Herseth is up strong, but that's with 16% of Minnehaha Co. reporting (where Herseth leads 62-38), and nothing yet in from Pennigton, so it will probably get a bit closer. Since the beginning the campaign, Herseth has raised more than 1.8 million and Diedrich has raised 1.3 million.
```
5% Reporting
  HERSETH 	D	5,604	54%
  DIEDRICH	R	4,825	46%
```
Here's the Free Republic thread if you want to read along and enjoy the twisting.
There will be updates as the outcome of tonights election are known. Projections are of a record turnout for a primary, at 52 percent. Watch Dem-leaning Minnehaha Co and GOP leaning Pennington County for indications. Besides the Argus Leader, the Aberdeen American News also endorsed Herseth.