Key facts
- The mayoral race in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is headed for a recount.
- Republican Christine Erickson leads Democrat Jamie Smith by two votes.
- Erickson has 18,280 votes, while Smith has 18,278.
- The close margin was confirmed after reviewing provisional ballots.
- Both candidates acknowledged the likelihood of a recount.
The mayoral race in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is poised for a recount following an extremely close election that saw Republican former state legislator Christine Erickson leading Democrat state Sen. Jamie Smith by a mere two votes. After the initial tally, Erickson held 18,280 votes to Smith's 18,278. Minnehaha County officials reviewed five provisional ballots, validating two of them, which were split evenly between the candidates, thus maintaining the two-vote difference. Erickson, who was backed by prominent state Republicans, including Attorney General Marty Jackley, emphasized the significance of every vote. Smith, the Democratic nominee for governor in 2022, has not conceded the nonpartisan race, stating that the contest is not over and that his campaign is exploring other options. The winner will succeed term-limited Mayor Paul TenHaken.