Long-shot Libertarian, Dusty Johnson square off ahead of U.S. House election

For second time, Democrats fail to field candidate

South Dakota’s Republican Congressman Dusty Johnson and Libertarian candidate Collin Duprel participated in a debate Thursday, Oct. 20 in Sioux Falls hosted by South Dakota Public Broadcasting. The South Dakota Democratic Party is not running a candidate in the U.S. House race. (Joe Sneve / The Dakota Scout)

For the second time in as many election cycles, South Dakotans only alternative to GOP Congressman Dusty Johnson on Election Day is a Black Hills Libertarian.

Two years ago, the South Dakota Democratic Party failed to field a candidate in the biennial race for the state’s lone U.S. House seat, with party officials blaming COVID-19 for an inability to gather enough signatures in time to get on the ballot in the 2020 contest.

But South Dakota’s minority party again is not competing for the at-large congressional seat after their candidate dropped out of the contest in May when unsavory social media posts resurfaced. And that is the primary motivation that pushed political newcomer and first-time candidate Collin Duprel to pick up the gauntlet.

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