South Dakota Democrats predict they’ll boost numbers in 2024 election

Leaders say Democratic Party ready to make a comeback in Mount Rushmore State

The South Dakota Democratic Party is bullish on 2024.

Of the 11 Democrats serving in the state Legislature, at least two are choosing not to run for state office again next year. But, leaders within South Dakota’s minority political party believe new leadership, discord in Washington, D.C., and Donald Trump’s continued claims of 2020 election fraud still position them to capture more seats in the South Dakota Legislature when voters head to the polls in November.

“This is a turning point for politics in America, this is a turning point for politics in South Dakota, and we’re going to have more than 11 after the 2024 election,” Sen. Reynold Nesiba said, alluding to ongoing strife among Republicans on Capitol Hill and the GOP's push for policies that he and other Democrats say are out of step with the attitudes of South Dakotans. “We’re going to pick up seats here, in Rapid City, and other places across the state.”

NEWS: Another sales tax cut battle brewing in the South Dakota Legislature

The prediction came this week at a news conference in downtown Sioux Falls. There, Jamie Smith — the Democratic nominee for governor in the most recent statewide election — announced his candidacy in next year’s District 15 Senate race, looking to replace the term-limited Nesiba in the central Sioux Falls legislative district.

And it’s not just wishful thinking that Democrats can begin to reassert themselves as an influence in Pierre after years of hemorrhaging seats to the GOP, they say. Rather, instability within the party might now be in the rearview mirror — including tens of thousands in fines levied against the organization following the 2016 election. That’s coupled with more aggressive fundraising, candidate recruitment, and improved party operations.