SOUTH DAKOTA
      Nov. 2, 2010 Governor                                      

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+Dennis Daugaard/Matt Michels (R)
 		195,046
 		61.51%
Scott Heidepriem/Ben Arndt (D)
 		122,037
 		38.49%

317,083
Registration: 519,361. 
Plurality:  73,009 votes (23.03 percentage points).
 SD Secretary of State



Notes:  Gov. Mike Rounds (R) was term-limited.  Lt. Gov. Dennis Daugaard (R) defeated attorney and state Sen. Scott Heidepriem (D) by a comfortable margin.

Five candidates competed in the June 8 Republican primary.  Daugaard, serving as lieutenant governor, started out in a strong position.  Prior to previously joining the Rounds ticket in 2002, he served in the state Senate.  His experience included development director and executive director of the Children's Home Society of South Dakota and work as a banker and attorney.  He formally launched his campaign on Oct. 5, 2009.  When the votes were tallied, Daugaard easily topped the field, obtaining 42,261 votes (50.4%) followed by former Brookings Mayor Scott Munsterman 14,726 (17.6%), Senate Majority Leader Dave Knudson 13,218 (15.8%), state Sen. Gordon Howie 10,426 (12.4%) and rancher Ken Knuppe 3,186 (3.8%).  Daugaard announced former House Speaker Matt Michels, an attorney from Yankton, as his running mate on June 17.

Heidepriem was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.  An attorney from Sioux Falls, he was elected to the State Senate in 2006 and served as Senate Minority Leader from 2007-10.  Heidepriem switched to the Democratic party in 2000.  He served in the state legislature as a Republican from 1983-1992, and also ran for Congress in 1986.  He announced Ben Arndt, a Republican businessman (COO of Bell Inc., a box manufacturing company) from Sioux Falls, as his running mate at the beginning of June (>). 

The two candidates participated in many debates and forums including (>):

July - Bon Homme Farm Bureau debate in Springfield;

Aug. 10 - South Dakota Veterinary Medical Association debate;

Aug. 12 - education debate in Sioux Falls;

Aug. 18 - at DakotaFest in Mitchell;

Sept. 3 - Farmers Union debate at the South Dakota State Fair;

Sept. 9 - SD Stockgrowers Association; and

Oct. 25 - KELO televised debate.

Heidepriem, as a trial attorney, was a well-spoken candidate with significant political experience.  He ran a strong, focused campaign, presenting himself as the "Independent Democrat for Governor" and a "real fiscal conservative" (see "Elephant in the Room" ad >).  However, the tide was running against Democrats.  The weak position of Democrats in South Dakota was evidenced by the fact that the party did not even put up a candidate for U.S. Senate. Daugaard won by a 23-percentage point margin.


Campaign Managers:
Dennis Daugaard:  Tony Venhuizen
South Dakota Board of Regents' student member, 2003-08 (appointed three times).  Black Hills field director on Mike Rounds' 2002 campaign.  Law degree from University of South Dakota; bachelor's degree from South Dakota State University.  From Sioux Falls.  Grandfather was state Sen. Henry Poppen.

Scott Heidepriem:  Steve Jarding
 Professor at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.  Communications director/consultant on Bob Graham for President, 2003.  Directed Sen. John Edwards' leadership PAC, the New American Optimists, from Jan. 2002 to the end of the year (continued on looking for a role with Edwards' presidential campaign, but negotiations finished in February 2003).  Campaign manager on Mark Warner's campaign for governor of Virginia in 2001.  Communications director at the DSCC, 1995-96.  Worked for Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-NE) for many years starting as communications director on his 1988 U.S. Senate campaign through to 1998, when Kerrey left the Senate.  Executive director of the South Dakota Democratic Party, 1986.  Master's degree from University of Oklahoma; undergraduate degree from University of South Dakota.  Mitchell native.


See also:
T. Lawrence.  "Heidepriem: No campaign regrets."  Mitchell Republic, May 24, 2011.

Bob Mercer.  "Heidepriem picks a Republican."  Watertown Public Opinion, June 2, 2010.

David Montgomery.  "Heidepriem picks Republican businessman as running mate."  Capital Journal, June 1, 2010.

--.  "Daugaard: I'm 'job-ready' to be next governor."  Mitchell Republic, Oct. 6, 2009.

Kevin Wostar.  "GOP slams Heidepriem in opening hours of campaign"  Rapid City Journal, Aug. 1, 2009.

Kevin Wostar.  "Dennis Daugaard amasses cash, prepares for 2010 run for governor."  Rapid City Journal, Jan. 29, 2009.



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