Race at a glance
South Dakota House District 31 will have a contested race in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. The candidates are Scott Odenbach and Mary Fitzgerald, both Republicans who currently hold office and are running as incumbents.
The listed field does not offer a choice between political parties: Odenbach and Fitzgerald share the same Republican label. They also enter the election with the same incumbent status. No documented policy positions identify differences between them on state issues.
The election date gives voters the central point on the calendar. Campaign statements, public appearances and any later descriptions of the candidates’ priorities could help define the choice before voting concludes.
Scott Odenbach
Scott Odenbach is running as a Republican incumbent for South Dakota House District 31. His incumbent designation means he already holds the office and is seeking another term in the district.
Odenbach’s policy positions are not stated, so there is no documented issue platform to describe. There are also no reported figures for how much his campaign has raised, how much it has spent or how much cash it has on hand.
That leaves his name, Republican affiliation and incumbent status as the principal facts defining his candidacy at this point in the race. Any positions he sets out during the campaign would give voters more information about how he approaches legislation and the district’s priorities.
Mary Fitzgerald
Mary Fitzgerald is running as a Republican incumbent for South Dakota House District 31. Like Odenbach, she already holds office and is seeking another term in the district.
Fitzgerald’s policy positions are not stated, so there is no documented issue platform to describe. There are also no reported figures for how much her campaign has raised, how much it has spent or how much cash it has on hand.
Her name, Republican affiliation and incumbent status are therefore the principal facts defining her candidacy at this point in the race. Positions she sets out during the campaign would give voters more information about her approach to legislation and the district’s priorities.
What is contested
The District 31 House election is designated as contested, with Odenbach and Fitzgerald both running in the Nov. 3 general election. The contest is unusual only in the limited sense that the listed candidates share both a party affiliation and incumbent status; neither of those facts separates one from the other.
Policy views could become an important way for voters to compare the candidates, but neither has a documented position in the race information on issues before the South Dakota Legislature. Campaign finance could offer another point of comparison, but fundraising, spending and cash-on-hand totals are not reported for either candidate.
The next meaningful developments will be any candidate statements about policy, campaign finance figures and election administration information issued before Nov. 3. Those details could clarify the practical differences between the two candidacies without changing the basic shape of the field: two Republican incumbents in a contested District 31 race.
