Outgoing governor wins South Dakota House seat, CNN projects
PIERRE, South Dakota (CNN) -- Outgoing Republican Gov. Bill Janklow defeated Democrat Stephanie Herseth in the race for the state's lone House seat, CNN has projected.
Janklow, governor for the past 16 years, faced an unexpectedly tough race from Herseth, a 31-year-old attorney who comes from a well-known political family. Her grandfather was a Democratic governor, her grandmother served as state secretary of state and her father was a leader in the state legislature.
But though Janklow had more political experience than Herseth, she kept close in fund raising, and polls before Election Day showed the race to be a dead heat.
The seat was open because of Rep. John Thune's decision to challenge first-term Sen. Tim Johnson.