The final numbers are in from Election 2012 and unsurprisingly Sanborn County voted heavily on the Republican side for their chosen elected officials, with the exception of the District 2 Commissioner seat.
A new county commissioner will be sworn in here in Sanborn County. District 2 voters chose Paul Larson over incumbent Keith Senska, 165-96.
Romney and Ryan were bit more popular in our county than in the state with 62 percent verses Obama and Biden’s 35 percent. Statewide Romney took almost 58 percent to Obama’s nearly 40 percent.
In the US House race, Kristi Noem took 62 percent of the vote to Matt Varilek’s 38 percent. Statewide Noem received 57 and a half percent to Varilek’s 42.5.
The six-year Public Utilities Commissioner job was a bit closer in Sanborn County than in the state with Kristie Fiegen receiving 49 percent to Matt McGovern’s 44. Fiegen won nearly 54 percent of the vote statewide with McGovern coming in just over 40 percent. Libertarian Russell Clarke got seven percent in the county and 5.67 in the state.
The four-year PUC term was  much more clear cut with Republican incumbent Chris Nelson winning 64 percent of the vote against challenger Nick Nemec.
Russell Olson retained his job as District 8 State Senator for Lake, Miner, Moody and Sanborn counties, winning 68.6 percent of the vote. Throughout the District Olson had 63 percent over Charles Johnson, his Democratic challenger.
The state representative race was a close one with all four candidates new to the political scene. Coming out on top in Sanborn County was Republican Leslie Heinemann with 29.5 percent, followed by fellow Republican Gene Kroger with 26.5 percent. Democrat Scott Parsley closely followed with 25.7 percent and Roy Lindsay had 18 percent county-wide.
The results throughout the District were quite different, however. Kroger received just under 20 percent of the vote, putting him in last place. Parsley came in with 30.6 percent of the vote guaranteeing him the first seat. He was followed by Heinemann with 26.4 percent to earn him the second House seat. Democrat Lindsay just missed the boat with 23 percent.
Leon Fredrichs won 62 percent of the vote for the James River Water Development District Director in Sanborn County, but was beaten big district-wide by Gary Boomsma, who got 73 percent of the total vote.
Constitutional Amendment M, the amendment regarding certain provisions relating to corporations lost big both county-wide and statewide.
Constitutional Amendement N, which would have allowed state legislators to set their own travel reimbursement rate, was also shot down in both the county and state.
Sanborn County voters were split pretty evenly on Constitutional Amendment O, which would have changed the method for state cement plant trust fund distributions, with a small majority voting no. Statewide the amendment failed, 57 to 43 percent.
Amendment P passed with 64 and a half percent voting yes statewide. In our county the vote was closer with not quite 54 percent voting yes. The amendment adds balanced budget requirements to the state Constitution.
Initiated Measure 15, which would have added an extra penny sales tax, the proceeds of which would be split between Medicaid and education, fell short in both the county and state. Almost 57 percent voted no statewide, while nearly 56 percent declined the Measure in the county.
Referred Law 14 also failed, with 70 percent in the county and just under 58 percent of the state voting no. The law would have established a Large Project Development Fund.
Referred Law 16 also lost big, earning just 32.77 percent statewide. Eighty-two percent of Sanborn County voters rejected the very long-winded education reform act.