South Dakota Elections Chief Backs Democrat Terrence Davis After Losing June Primary
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 20
South Dakota Elections Chief Backs Democrat Terrence Davis After Losing June Primary
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 20
Summary
Monae Johnson, South Dakota’s Republican secretary of state, endorsed Democrat Terrence Davis to succeed her after she lost her June primary.
In a Saturday column, Johnson said Davis’s law-enforcement and public-policy background made him better suited to restore confidence in the office.
Johnson also rebuked election tactics in her own party, calling for a secretary of state who supports election officials, protects voter access and security together, and avoids provocation.
The cross-party endorsement adds to a broader pattern of Republicans breaking with Trump-aligned conservatives in state and local races, even as Johnson herself won office in 2022 amid post-2020 election-integrity activism.