Election results bring support to ending South Dakota's closed primaries

Card-carrying Republicans signal newfound openness to Open Primaries campaign

Photo by Joshua Woroniecki on Unsplash

The campaign to do away with primary elections controlled by political parties has a few more allies after partisan voters cast ballots this month.

The campaign committee behind South Dakota Open Primaries (SDOP) is basking in the afterglow of the June 4 primary election that saw several high-profile upsets of longtime GOP lawmakers and establishment-backed Republican candidates. And though SDOP Chairman Joe Kirby would have preferred to see fewer victories for the faction of his political party that is considered less moderate, those results could bode well for his efforts come November.

“We have a lot of new friends all of a sudden,” the Amendment H co-author told The Dakota Scout, citing an outpouring of calls, contacts, and inquiries — and even checks — received by SDOP since June 4 when just 17 percent of voters statewide turned out to vote, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.

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