At least 14 Republican legislators lost their races Tuesday in the 2024 primary election, with a controversial carbon dioxide pipeline among the top wedge issues to emerge.
Voters also ousted two of the state’s Native American lawmakers (a mother and son), and brought back a Republican who served as speaker of the House until two years ago.
Some of the victors leaned heavily on their opposition to Summit Carbon Solutions’ carbon capture pipeline, a multibillion-dollar project that would collect CO2 from ethanol producers in South Dakota and other states and move it through an underground pipeline for sequestration in North Dakota.
The project has caused more than two years of legal and legislative wrangling over landowner rights and eminent domain, the legal maneuver through which a company can seize property for projects in the public interest.
Some of the losing incumbents endorsed Senate Bill 201’s “Landowner Bill of Rights,” a compromise bill adopted last winter that’s aimed at boosting landowner protections while maintaining a path for the pipeline project. Ethanol boosters have argued that carbon sequestration – and the tax incentives that would make it profitable – is critical to the corn-based fuel’s future in South Dakota. Project opponents are seeking to refer the new law to a public vote in November.
There were 44 Republican legislative primary races Tuesday and only one Democratic primary race. Winners advance to the Nov. 5 general election. One top finisher from each party advances in Senate primaries, and two top finishers from each party advance in House primaries (except for “split” House districts, where only one from each party advances). Residents of each district are ultimately served by two representatives and one senator.
Statewide voter turnout was 17%, according to the Secretary of State’s Office, which ranks low compared to past primary elections.
