June 7 primary ballot loaded with races, including Aberdeen school board, city council
Among the June 7 primary races to be decided by local voters are those for Aberdeen Public School Board and Aberdeen City Council.
Brown County voters will also select which three of four Republican county commission candidates will advance to the general election in November.
There are also primaries for governor, U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives.
In statewide, county and legislative races, independent candidates can file nominating petitions until April 26.
National races
Three candidates have filed for governor, two of whom are Republicans. They are incumbent Kristi Noem and Steven Haugaard of Sioux Falls. The winner of GOP primary will face Jamie Smith, D-Sioux Falls in November.
South Dakota's U.S. House seat will be decided in the Republican primary. Incumbent Dusty Johnson, R-Mitchell, is facing a challenge from Taffy Howard, R-Rapid City. The winner will be unopposed in November.
The U.S. Senate race has three Republican contenders. Incumbent John Thune of Sioux Falls is being challenged by Bruce Whalen of Pine Ridge and Mark Mowry of Spearfish. The winner will face Brian Bengs, D-Aberdeen, in November.
Aberdeen city, school board races
Three people are running for two open seats on the Aberdeen School Board. The candidates are Gayle Bortnem, Mike Bockorny and Duane Alm.
Alm is the sole incumbent seeking re-election. Bortnem is retired Northern State University instructor and Bockorny is currently CEO of the Aberdeen Development Corp.
The Aberdeen City Council has an open seat in three of the city's four districts -- the Southeast, Northeast and Northwest.
Candidates in the Southeast District include former fire marshal and code enforcement officer Chad Nilson, Shoe Science owner Kyle Walz and Allevity owner and former District 3 legislator David Novstrup. Incumbent Clint Rux is not seeking re-election.
Candidates in the Northeast District are Erin Fouberg, associate provost at Northern State University, and Andy Schaunaman, who is a project manager for HKG Architects. Mark Remily, who has served on the city council since 2013, filed a nominating petition, but has since asked for it to be withdrawn.
Candidates in the Northwest District are Charlotte Liebelt, owner of Liebelt Homes, and Jon Boon McNutt, an employee at Primrose Retirement and host of local trivia and comedy events. Incumbent Dave Lunzman is running for Brown County sheriff.
District 1
The District 1 state Senate race will be decided in the primary, but the House seats will be determined in November.
Republican Michael H. Rohl of Aberdeen, who has served District 1 as a senator for the past two years, faces a primary challenge from Joe Donnell from Sisseton. The winner will be unopposed in November.
The four candidates — two Republicans and Two Democrats — are seeking two House seats. The winners will be decided in November.
Candidates include Logan Manhart, R-Bath; Tamara St. John, R-Sisseton; Jennifer Healy Keintz, D-Eden; and Steven McCleerey, D-Sisseton. St. John and Healy Keintz currently represent District 1 in the House. McCleery previously served in the Legislature from 2015-2020.
District 1 encompasses the vast majority of rural Brown County outside of Aberdeen, as well as all of Day and Marshall counties. Roberts County is also in District 1, with the exception of the southeastern corner, which is now in District 4.
District 3
The District 3 Senate seat will be decided in the primary. Meanwhile, Republican voters will decide which two candidates will face Democrat Emily Meier in the general election House race. All candidates are from Aberdeen.
For the Senate post, incumbent Al Novstrup, who has served in Pierre since 2003, faces a challenge from Rachel Dix in the Republican primary. The winner will be unopposed in November.
In the House race, incumbents Carl E. Perry and Kaleb Weis face challengers Richard Rylance and Brandei Schaeffbauer in the GOP primary. Weis currently serves in District 2, but redistricting now places him in District 3. Drew Dennert, who currently represents District 3 in the House, is running for Brown County Commission. The top two vote-getters in June race will face Meier in November.
District 3 includes most of the city of Aberdeen.
District 23
Republicans will decide both District 23 races during the primary. For Senate, incumbent Bryan Breitling of Miller, who is finishing his first term, faces a challenge from Spencer Gosch of Glenham, who has served in the House of Representatives since 2017. The winner will be unopposed in November.
Four newcomers have filed for the two available seats in the House. They are Brandon Black of Aberdeen, Gregory Brooks of Aberdeen, James D. Wangsness of Miller and Scott Moore of Ipswich. The top-two vote-getters in the GOP primary will be unopposed in November.
A small portion of Brown County, including the southeastern corner of Aberdeen, is included in District 23. The district also includes Campbell, McPherson, Walworth, Edmunds, Potter, Faulk and Hand counties.
Brown County
With uncontested races for auditor, sheriff and register of deeds, the sole race in Brown County is to fill three four-year positions on the Brown County Commission.
Auditor Cathy McNickle, R-Aberdeen, the incumbent; Mariann Malsom, R-Aberdeen, who filed nominating petitions to be register of deeds; and Lunzman, a Republican who is running for sheriff; are all unopposed. Malsom is currently a deputy at the Register of Deeds Office.
Incumbent Doug Fjeldheim, R-Aberdeen, is unopposed for the two-year term on the county commission.
Four Republicans and one Democrat have filed for the three four-year commission seats. In the June primary, Republicans will select three candidates who will advance to the general election. They'll choose from Dennert, incumbent Mike Wiese, incumbent Michael Gage and Mike Russell. All are from Aberdeen.
The top three will join Democrat Chad Fischbach of Warner on the ballot in November.
Day County
Additional contested races are also shaping up in other northeastern South Dakota counties.
In Day County, each of the three county commissioners have challengers, but only one race will be on the primary ballot.
Two Republicans and one Democrat have filed for the District 5 commission seat. So, Republicans will decide between incumbent Derek L. Sinner of Webster and Joshua Atherton of Webster. The winner will face Democrat Dari Schlotte of Webster in November.
Incumbent Linda M. Walters, D-Waubay, and Sara McGregor-Okroi, R-Grenville, will face off for the District 1 commission seat in November. Incumbent Richard L. Tobin, D-Pierpont, and Daniel Kjos, R-Roslyn, will vie for the District 3 commission seat in November.
Edmunds County
In Edmunds County, Republican voters will be asked to decide the sheriff's race in the primary. Contested races for auditor and county commissioner will be on the ballot in November.
Republicans Bruce Sahli of Roscoe and Jonathan J. Waldner of Ipswich are both running for sheriff. The winner will be unopposed in November.
Two have also filed for county auditor. Incumbent Keith Schurr, D-Mina, is facing a challenge from Daniel DJ Hardison, R-Bowdle.
Incumbent District 3 commissioner Jerome Schaffner, I-Ipswich, is facing a challenge from Michael J. Geditz, R-Ipswich.
Potter County
Potter County has a four-way race for sheriff that will be decided in the Republican primary. Incumbent Curtis D. Hamberger, Gettysburg, is being challenged by David L. Mogard of Gettysburg, Matthew L. Risetter of Redfield and Shiann M. Haupert of Gettysburg. The winner will be unopposed in Novemer.
Roberts County
A two-man race for District 5 county commissioner in Roberts County will be decided in the June primary. Incumbent Tom Vergeldt, R-Rosholt, is facing a challenge from Jeffrey Long, R-Sisseton. The winner will be unopposed in November.
Spink County
Spink County Republicans will decide races for sheriff and county commissioner in June.
Sheriff Frank Krumm, R-Redfield, is facing a challenge from Isaac Appel, R-Redfield, who also ran for sheriff in 2018.
Michael Siebrecht, R-Redfield and Heath Shottenkirk, R-Redfield, are both running for District 3 commissioner.
The winners of those races will be unopposed in November.
Walworth County
Walworth County Republicans will decide the next register of deeds and District 3 commissioner during the June primary.
Brenda DeToy, R-Glenham, and Eva Cagnones, R-Selby, are both running for register of deeds.
In the commission race, incumbent Scott Schilling, R-Selby, is facing challenger Robert Thomason, R-Selby.
The winners will be unopposed in November.
This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Several contested races on June primary ballot
