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Candidate Forums

The Aberdeen Area Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the League of Women Voters of the Aberdeen Area, hosted the Primary Election Candidate Forum featuring candidates running for District 3 House and Senate, District 1 House, and Brown County Sheriff on  Saturday, May 2 at the K.O. Lee Aberdeen Public Library.

Here are the key results from the June 2, 2026 South Dakota Primary Election:

Statewide Governor (Republican Primary)

Candidate Votes Percent
Toby Doeden ~48,700 30.6%
Larry Rhoden ~40,100 25.2%
Dusty Johnson ~37,200 23.4%
Jon Hansen ~33,000 20.8%

Toby Doeden and Larry Rhoden advance to the Republican runoff on July 28, 2026.

U.S. Senate (Republican Primary)

Candidate Percent
Mike Rounds 74%
Justin McNeal 26%

U.S. House (Republican Primary)

Candidate Percent
Marty Jackley 82%
James Bialota 18%

Legislative District 3 (Most of Aberdeen)

State Senate District 3 (Republican Primary)

Candidate Votes Percent
Katie Washnok 2,508 63.5%
Carl Perry (incumbent) 1,443 36.5%

State House District 3 (Republican Primary)

Top two advance:

Candidate Votes
Spencer Sommers 2,217
Tim Hanigan 1,980
Al Novstrup (incumbent) 1,598
Kaleb Weis 1,095

Legislative District 1

State Senate (Republican Primary)

Candidate Votes Percent
Michael Rohl Unopposed Advanced

State House (Republican Primary)

Candidate Votes
Nick Fosness 1,855
Daniel Kjos 1,664
Logan Manhart 1,398
Keith Miller 1,355

Legislative District 23

State Senate (Republican Primary)

Candidate Votes Percent
Mark Lapka Unopposed Advanced

State House (Republican Primary)

Top two candidates advance:

Candidate Votes Percent
Spencer Gosch 3,870 44.2%
Dick Werner 2,503 28.6%
Amber Werdel 2,388 27.3%

Brown County Sheriff (Republican Primary)

Candidate Votes Percent
Robert Weinmeister 2,829 48.4%
Dan Kaiser 1,928 33.0%
Dave Lunzman (incumbent) 821 14.0%
Linn Kamin 267 4.6%

Brown County Voter Turnout

  • Registered voters: 12,873
  • Ballots cast in major countywide races: approximately 6,100
  • Local reporting indicated turnout exceeded 48%, a very strong showing for a primary election.

The Aberdeen Area Chamber of Commerce and the League of Women Voters are dedicated to fostering civic participation, encouraging open dialogue, and providing opportunities for voters to hear directly from candidates on the issues that matter most. As nonpartisan organizations, neither the Chamber nor the League endorses candidates or political parties; rather, our goal is to provide a fair and balanced environment where all candidates have an equal opportunity to share their perspectives, and all voters have access to the information they need to make informed decisions at the ballot box.

   

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