Democrat Wins House Seat in Special Election
Stephanie Herseth, 33, a lawyer who left the East Coast for a career in politics in her home state, narrowly defeated a Republican former lawmaker in a special congressional election that was closely watched by national parties looking for momentum heading into November.
Herseth will immediately fill the seat of Republican William J. Janklow, who was convicted of manslaughter after a fatal traffic accident and resigned his seat.
With most precincts reporting, Herseth had 124,647 votes to 121,719 for Larry Diedrich, a farmer and former state lawmaker. She will serve until November, when the pair will face off again for a full term.
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