Marie Steichen was a Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 politician from Woonsocket, South Dakota

Woonsocket, South Dakota

Woonsocket is a city in Sanborn County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 655 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Sanborn County...

, who gained fame for winning a local election two months after her losing her battle with cancer. In the general election

United States general elections, 2006

The 2006 United States midterm elections were held on Tuesday, November 7, 2006. All United States House of Representatives seats and one third of the United States Senate seats were contested in this election, as well as 36 state governorships, many state legislatures, four territorial...

 of November 7, 2006 she defeated, by a vote of 100 to 64, the incumbent Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 candidate Merlin Feistner for the post of commissioner

County commission

A county commission is a group of elected officials charged with administering the county government in local government in some states of the United States. County commissions are usually made up of three or more individuals...

 of Jerauld County

Jerauld County, South Dakota

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,295 people, 987 households, and 651 families residing in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile . There were 1,167 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile . The racial makeup of the county was 99.00% White,...

 in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of South Dakota

South Dakota

South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...

.

This was her first try for political office. She and her husband Harold lived on a farm south of Lane, South Dakota

Lane, South Dakota

Lane is a town in Jerauld County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 59 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Lane is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....

. In the primary election, she had defeated Rick Easton of Wessington Springs by just one vote, 22-21.