Days after losing his election to his mother, the incumbent, a South Dakota state House candidate was detained on a rape charge.
Around 4 a.m., Bud Marty May, 37, was taken into custody in Box Elder. Sunday and accused of second-degree rape, according to court documents. May is accused of using “force, coercion, or threats of immediate and great bodily injury” against the victim, according to the criminal complaint.
The victim claimed that May had raped her, and the judge cited police reports at a court hearing on Tuesday, according to the Sioux Falls newspaper, the Argus Leader. The victim was discovered by police hiding behind a bar.
Matt Kinney, May’s attorney, declined to respond since he had not yet received any police reports or statements, he said.
In a contest amongst four candidates for two House seats in District 27, Republican May finished fourth. His mother, state representative Liz May, a Republican, was one of the two victors.
In the days leading up to the election, a Republican candidate for the state Senate in District 26 nearby was also detained. According to court documents, the candidate, Joel Koskan, was accused of abusing children on November 3.
According to The Mitchell Republic, the judge has received a plea deal. The agreement was entered into the court file on November 7, the day before the election. According to the newspaper, it would spare Koskan jail time for pleading guilty but would require him to go to therapy, pay fines, and stay away from the alleged victim. Out of about 6,000 votes cast, Koskan’s loss in the Senate contest was by roughly 1,000.
