South Dakota Secretary of State Endorses Democrat Successor
Left 50%
Center 0%
Right 50%
1 left · 0 center · 1 right
What happened
South Dakota Secretary of State Monae Johnson, a Republican, endorsed Democrat Terrence Davis as her successor after losing the Republican nomination in June to state representative Heather Baxter, 59 percent to 40 percent. In a Saturday statement, Johnson said that after more than a decade in the office she believes Davis is the candidate "best prepared to protect the office and serve South Dakota with seriousness, steadiness, and integrity," and asked voters of all parties to look beyond the letter beside a candidate's name. Davis thanked Johnson on Facebook, saying they come from different parties and will not agree on every issue. Baxter said Republican delegates had already considered the records and nominated her, calling that "self-government in action," while state House Speaker Jon Hansen condemned the endorsement as a "huge mistake" and urged Republicans not to "hand our elections over to the Democrats." The general election, which also includes Libertarian Tamara Lesnar, is scheduled for November 3, 2026.
Sourcing check · Mostly on the record · 2 articles
1 of 2 articles cite a named source for the story. It was on the record from the first report.
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- How it developed
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This is about who is cited, not whether the story is true. Each source below says what it names. How we count
Omitted — what each side leaves out
Unpacked
Johnson had already lost her party's nomination when she endorsed a Democrat to succeed her. Left-leaning coverage never reports that defeat and instead presents her as a Republican incumbent speaking against conservatives. Right-leaning coverage puts the convention loss first and names both Heather Baxter and Terrence Davis. A reader who missed the loss would think a GOP official in good standing simply preferred the other party for the office that runs elections.
Right-leaning coverage quotes Johnson asking voters to look "beyond the letter beside a candidate's name." Left-leaning coverage instead folds her into a national story of incumbents breaking with conservatives as President Trump loses support, and never gives her stated reason for the endorsement.
What disagreement over running South Dakota's elections, if any, made Johnson conclude Davis was better prepared than the Republican her party had already nominated?
Bottom line
If you read only the New York Times, this is a Republican incumbent breaking with conservatives as Trump loses support. She had already lost her nomination 59 percent to 40, a fact that account never includes.
The receipts — 5 facts one side's coverage lacks
- Johnson lost the GOP nomination to Heather Baxter in June, 59% to 40%
- Johnson said Terrence Davis is the candidate best prepared to protect the office and serve with seriousness, steadiness, and integrity
- House Speaker Jon Hansen called the endorsement a huge mistake and urged voters not to hand elections to Democrats
- Baxter said Republican delegates already considered the records and nominated her, calling that self-government in action
- President Trump won South Dakota with 63% of the vote in 2024
The Left View
The New York Times presents Johnson as "the latest Republican incumbent to speak out against conservative candidates," situating the endorsement in a pattern of GOP officeholders rejecting more conservative nominees as President Trump loses support ahead of the midterm elections. The framing treats a Republican who runs the state's elections backing a Democrat as a professional stand against conservative candidates, not a routine intra-party contest.
The Right View
The Daily Caller frames the endorsement as Johnson bucking her party after a clear convention defeat in a state President Trump carried with 63 percent of the vote in 2024. It highlights Baxter's argument that "the letter beside a name is not decoration" because it tells voters what governing philosophy will be carried into the office that runs elections and business services, and Speaker Hansen's warning not to hand that office to Democrats.
Our Take (balanced)
The left's strongest argument is Johnson's claim, after more than a decade in the office, that Davis is better prepared on temperament and institutional stewardship, which the New York Times places among Republican incumbents speaking out against conservative successors as Trump loses support. The right's strongest argument is that Republican delegates already weighed the records and chose Baxter, so the party label is meant to signal the philosophy that will govern election administration—an office Baxter and Hansen treat as too consequential to cede. The central unresolved tension is whether that office should be filled on nonpartisan judgments of experience and temperament, or whether a contested nomination already settled which governing philosophy the Republican side wanted.
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