South Dakota’s Republican secretary of state has broken ranks with her party to endorse the Democratic candidate for the office, saying "the integrity, stability, and professionalism of this office is at stake."
Monae Johnson, the incumbent Secretary of State, lost the Republican nomination at the state party convention in June to state lawmaker Heather Baxter. Baxter’s campaign platform highlights an alignment with President Donald Trump regarding concerns over "inaccurate voter rolls, mail in ballots, and voting machine issues." Her website previously indicated support for eliminating voting machines in favor of hand-counting ballots, a position frequently shared by individuals promoting theories that electronic tabulators can be manipulated.
