By Dave Baumeister, County Correspondent
SIOUX FALLS – Current county auditor Ben Kyte will face a primary opponent for the Republican nomination for Minnehaha County Auditor on Tuesday, June , according to information on the South Dakota Secretary of State’s website.
Kyte, from Sioux Falls, was appointed by the county commission to fill the remaining term of Bob Litz when he retired at the end of 2020.
Kyte’s opponent in June will be Lea Anderson, also of Sioux Falls.
Whoever wins that race will face the Democratic challenger, Brian Wirth of Dell Rapids, in the Nov. 8 general election.
In the election for Register of Deeds, only two Republicans have filed, setting up a primary for that office.
The two who filed, Amanda Halsey and Chad Zink, both of Sioux Falls, will face each other in the June Republican primary.
Whoever wins that seat will be replacing current Minnehaha County Register of Deeds, Julie Risty, who will be retiring at the end of her current term.
And while more names will be on the ballot for Minnehaha County Commission, with only two Democrats and three Republicans running for three possible seats, there is no need for a primary, and voters won’t see them until November.
Gerald Beninga, a Sioux Falls Republican, is the only incumbent running for re-election, as both Jeff Barth and Cindy Heiberger are stepping down.
Barth, a four-term commissioner who is currently the longest serving member of that board, was originally sworn in on Jan. 2, 2007.
Heiberger, who has lived in Minnehaha County most of her life, began her tenure on the county commission in 2011.
Challenging the incumbent Beninga for the three open seats are Jen Bleyberg of Hartford and Joe Kippley of Sioux Falls, both Republicans, and Nicole Cauwels, Brandon, and Tom Holmes, Sioux Falls, for the Democrats.
No other candidates have stepped forward to run against incumbent Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead, who filed his election petition prior to the March 29 deadline.
However, while this sets up the primary races in June, there could be more names on the November ballot, as people have until April 26 to file as Independent candidates for any of these offices.
Absentee voting for the primary begins April 22. On June 7, the polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
