VIEWPOINT | South Dakota’s closed primaries silence voters, protect the powerful
Guest column by Brian Bengs, independent candidate for U.S. Senate
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly attributed authorship to Jodi Schwan. The Dakota Scout strives for accuracy and fitness and deeply regrets the error.
On June 2, South Dakota taxpayers got to foot the bill for “members-only” votes for two private clubs. Their names are the South Dakota Republican Party (SDRP) and the South Dakota Democratic Party (SDDP). In the end, the true winners were not regular voters on Team Doeden or Rhoden or Johnson or Hansen but rather the political party machines and Big Money donors.
Closed primaries enable and incentivize the hyper-partisanship that has created the divisive, dysfunctional political gridlock. Candidates need only appeal to a narrow, dogmatic slice of voters instead of the broader public. This system largely shuts out principled moderates, independents and political newcomers. Candidates who want to work across party lines or challenge entrenched Big Money interests also struggle. The result of closed primaries is growing polarization and fewer elected officials either willing or able to effectively represent all South Dakotans.
