SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Republican U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson won reelection Tuesday for his third term representing South Dakota’s only U.S. House district, easily winning a race in which Democrats didn’t field a candidate.
The 46-year-old Republican faced only Libertarian Collin Duprel, who did not report raising or spending any money in the campaign. Democrat Ryan Ryder , a lawyer, withdrew early from the contest in March after coming under scrutiny for tweets he made from a personal account.
The House seat was not always a lock for Johnson. He faced a competitive primary against a right-wing challenger in state lawmaker Taffy Howard that attracted spending from several national political action committees.
Johnson has worked to shore up his conservative credentials in the heavily Republican state while portraying himself as focused on policy over political brawling. During his time in the House, he has worked for bipartisan agreements as part of a group known as the “Problem Solvers Caucus.”