Dusty Johnson wins South Dakota House race

8:45 p.m.

South Dakota's incoming U.S. representative, Republican Dusty Johnson, says his top priority in Washington will be getting a farm bill done.

Johnson, a former public utilities commissioner, triumphed Tuesday over Democrat Tim Bjorkman to win South Dakota's lone U.S. House seat. He was the front-runner.

Johnson said he will work hard to get on the House Committee on Agriculture and get a finished farm bill. Johnson says the people of South Dakota have hired him, and he's "not going to disappoint them."

Johnson focused during the race on fiscal discipline, proposing changes such as increasing the age for Medicare and Social Security eligibility for younger people. He will replace Republican Rep. Kristi Noem.

Bjorkman, a former judge, had pledged not to take special interest donations and said health care is the nation's most pressing problem.

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8:25 p.m.

Republican Dusty Johnson has beaten Democrat Tim Bjorkman to win South Dakota's U.S. House seat.

Johnson was the favorite throughout the race. The former public utilities commissioner and past gubernatorial chief of staff ran an energetic and well-funded campaign as a traditional conservative.

Johnson focused on fiscal discipline, proposing changes such as increasing the age for Medicare and Social Security eligibility for younger people. He will replace Republican Rep. Kristi Noem, who ran for governor.

Bjorkman, a former judge, had pledged not to take donations from special interests and said health care is the nation's most pressing problem.

Gov. Dennis Daugaard today issued the following statement in response to the United States congressional election results:

“I congratulate Dusty Johnson on his election to the U.S. House of Representatives. I was proud to have Dusty as my chief of staff, and I will be very proud to have him as my representative in Washington.”

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)