BROOKINGS -- Biereland Governor Ben Jordan is one step closer to securing a historic third term in the governorship, while Nationalist San Bartholomew fell short in his comeback attempt at the state's top job.
Jordan held off fellow Conservative challenger Peter Kosevich in the CNS primary.
A former interim governor himself, Kosevich was easily defeated by Jordan, 40.3% to 59.7%.
No state governor has ever been elected to three full, four-year terms as governor. Jordan is seeking to become the first.
On the NAT side, Bartholomew, who served as governor from 2011 - 2015, narrowly lost the NAT nomination to businessman and fellow environmentalist Joel Gruenwalder.
At his victory party in a swank restaurant in downtown Brookings, Jordan said his primary win was an endorsement from voters of his conservative agenda.
"Over the last eight years, we've produced results for Bierelanders," Jordan said. "Tonight, Biereland Conservatives have given us the green light to continue our results- driven, common sense agenda for Biereland."
At his election night celebration at the Foothills Golf and Country Club in west Brookings, Kosevich conceded the race, and declined to endorse Jordan.
"I'm a fellow Conservative. I agree with Ben on most of the issues. We agree on probably 90% of the issues. But it's the temperament that I can't get on board with. A governor has to have the proper temperament and demeanor for the job, and insulting, hyper-politicizing, the tearing down your opponent, and the belief that you have unchecked power because you're governor...those are aspects of his candidacy that I just cannot support," said Kosevich.
Nevertheless, Kosevich acknowledged the decisiveness of the results and pledged not to work against the Biereland Conservative Party.
"It's hard to argue with 60-40 percent, that's decisive, that's unequivocal. So I respect the will of the voters, and I will work hard to elect good Conservative candidates up and down the ballot this election."
On the NAT side, it was a closer contest.
Bartholomew and Gruenwalder had been locked in a close fight for the NAT endorsement, while farmer Derry Clayton from McGraw County was in a distant third.
After multiple counts of the ballots, Gruenwalder came out on top with 44.6%, Bartholomew with 41.7%, and Clayton with 13.7 percent, respectively.
The lesser-known Clayton immediately threw his support to Gruenwalder, Bartholomew did so the next morning.
"Joel Gruenwalder is the pragmatic choice for Biereland. He's the fresh face and sensible candidate we need," Clayton said at this election night gathering in rural McGraw County.
Bartholomew, who engaged in a bruising primary fight with Gruenwalder, expressed his disappointment in falling short of a nomination that was his to lose. He also acknowledged what at times was a tumultuous race between he and Gruenwalder.
"None of the past matters anymore. We have to beat Ben Jordan. That's our number one goal. I wanted to be governor again, and I'm disappointed I lost. But what I really want is to beat Ben Jordan and boot him out of office. So I will gladly endorse Joel Gruenwalder and do all I can to get him elected in December," Bartholomew said.
Thanking his two opponents for their support, Gruenwalder also spoke of looking to the future at his campaign rally in suburban Sebotnie, south of Brookings.
"I congratulate Ben Jordan on winning his party's endorsement, and I want to thank Pete Kosevich, San Bartholomew and Derry Clayton for a very lively campaign in the primary. But now our attention shifts to the fall election, and there could not be a starker difference between me and Ben Jordan," said Gruenwalder.
"Ben wants to keep giving tax cuts to the wealthiest Bierelanders and corporations. I want to give tax cuts to working families. Ben wants to keep logging our precious forests, I want to protect them and work with our logging communities so that we can have logging and protect our environment at the same time. Ben wants to bring divisive social issues, I want to leave those difficult moral issues to each Bierelander themselves. It's your decision what you do with your body, with your marriage, with your health, those are not decisions for government to make," Gruenwalder said, seemingly referencing abortion and transgender children, both issues that have rallied Conservatives in recent months.
Biereland is a conservative-leaning state. It was one of only five states to give its support to Conservative Jim Frasier in the 2020 presidential election. And three of its four current federal senators are from the CNS.
But moderate Nationalists have had limited success. And in 2010, Bartholomew, who is solidly liberal, went on to win the governorship and defeat his right-wing opponent. So the state can swing to the NAT in some circumstances.
Most pundits say the election slightly favors Jordan, but some voters may have "Ben Jordan fatigue," and may want a fresh face.
"Ben Jordan has been governor for almost eight years. He's now asking for another four years. There are a lot of voters out there, liberal, conservative and independent who would like to see someone new," said Ron Alexander, a Conservative campaign operative who has worked on statewide campaigns in Biereland before, but is not connected to any campaigns in this election cycle.
Currently, the GBC's Dr. Kerry Rudgley rates the Biereland race as a "toss-up."
Biereland's Senate race will feature incumbent Robert Browning (C) facing off against former Senator Julie Grendhau (N). That race is rated "Conservative Favored."
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