• PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- Several current lawmakers in the South Dakota House and Senate have secured their parties' nominations in contested primaries Tuesday.
• One incumbent, Republican Rep. Justin Cronin, was nominated for re-election on Tuesday over four primary competitors and now has an uncontested path to the Capitol.
• His District 23 race is one of eight in which there will be no competition from the other party in the November general election.
• Cronin, from Gettysburg, is currently Assistant Majority Leader in the House, and has been identified as a potential leader in the future. Majority Leader Rep. David Lust is not running this year.
• Mobridge's Michele Harrison, executive director of the city's economic development corporation, rose to second place in Cronin's district.
• In the 35 state legislative districts, voters weighed in on 22 primary races-- five Democratic and 17 Republican. Seven of the races were for state Senate.
• Each of South Dakota's 35 legislative districts elects one senator and two representatives, except for two districts split into two separate House districts, each of which elects its own representative. Primaries are held in districts where a political party had more than one Senate candidate or more than two House candidates.
• In the capital region, District 24, Republican Mark Venner lost to Reps. Tim Rounds and Mary Duvall. In the same district, a rematch between Sen. Jeff Monroe and Tad Perry, ended in the incumbent's favor. Monroe, considered the more conservative candidate, also won in 2012, by just 36 votes.
• First term incumbent Rep. Gary Cammack, Union Center, beat out political newcomers Susan Cheshier and LeRoy Kindler, both from the Newell area. Cammack will face no more competition in his path to the Senate seat vacated by Sen. Larry Rhoden of Union Center, who lost in a bid for U.S. Senate. In the same district's race for House, no Democratic challengers arose and current Rep. Dean Wink of Howes was nominated along with Thomas Brunner of Nisland who previously served eight years in the House.
• District 16 Republican incumbents Reps. Jim Bolin and David Anderson, who was appointed by the governor to replace Patty Miller, defeated challenger Kevin Jensen.
• In three Rapid City-area districts, Republican incumbents beat their competition.

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