Catherine Barranco Wins South Dakota Auditor Race
Republican Catherine Barranco defeated Democrat Tom Cool to become South Dakota's state auditor after taking over her late husband's nomination.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections
Republican Catherine Barranco won the South Dakota state auditor election with 63% of the vote, defeating Democrat Tom Cool, who received 37%. Barranco took the Republican nomination after her husband, David Barranco, who originally held it, died of colorectal cancer in July.
Why it matters
Barranco will be the first woman to serve as South Dakota's state auditor in over 50 years, and her path to the office followed the Republican nomination passing to her after the death of the original nominee. The outcome shows how a party nomination can change hands late in a campaign cycle.
Unofficial returns at 11 p.m. showed Barranco leading 63% to 37% with 514 of 671 precincts reporting, so the final margin could shift as remaining precincts are counted. Barranco won the Republican convention nomination with 53% of weighted delegate support.
The players
Catherine Barranco
The Republican candidate who won South Dakota's state auditor race after taking over her late husband's nomination.
Tom Cool
The Democratic candidate who lost the South Dakota state auditor election to Catherine Barranco.
Rich Sattgast
The term-limited South Dakota state auditor who endorsed Catherine Barranco in June.
The details
David Barranco, a former Sioux Falls city councilor, held the lone GOP nomination for the auditor's office before dying of colorectal cancer in July. Before his death, he urged his wife to run in his place, and she later received the nomination at the Republican convention after being endorsed in June by term-limited incumbent Rich Sattgast.
Timeline
May: Catherine Barranco was first encouraged by her husband to run for the office.
June: Rich Sattgast formally endorsed Catherine Barranco.
July: David Barranco died of colorectal cancer.
Weeks after June endorsement: Catherine Barranco received the Republican nomination at the party convention.
November 4, 2026: Catherine Barranco won the state auditor election on Election Night.
Political Context
Barranco's win ends a gap of more than 50 years since a woman last served as South Dakota state auditor. Her candidacy also followed the Republican Party's convention process, in which delegates chose her as the nominee after the original nominee's death.
Barranco will take office as South Dakota's state auditor, the official responsible for overseeing state financial records and audits. Voters in the state should expect the new auditor to take the post with the results of the election now determined by the count of remaining precincts.
The takeaway
Barranco's victory shows how a party nomination can pass to a new candidate after an unexpected death and still produce a decisive election result. Voters in South Dakota now have a new state auditor who will be the first woman in that role in more than 50 years.
Further reading
For more on how state offices are contested, see Elections coverage across South Dakota.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Argus Leader.
