‘It was simply a hug’, says defeated SD House candidate accused of rape

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - A failed South Dakota house candidate made his initial appearance in court Tuesday on a charge of second-degree rape.

Bud Marty May, 37, of Kyle, was first arrested on Nov. 13 on one count of second-degree rape. This a class 1 felony that could carry up to 50 years in prison and would have May pay up to a $50,000 fine.

The alleged victim said May decided to force himself on the victim in a bathroom stall at a bar and says May said to her at the bar: “I am 6′8″, white, it is all consensual.” According to the police report, he fled the area, and upon being detained he claimed he had no involvement at first, then claimed: “it was simply a hug.”

His bond was set today at $7,500 with a no-contact order regarding the victim. His preliminary hearing is set for November 30 at 11:30 a.m.

May ran for one of the two South Dakota House seats in District 27, which includes Bennett, Jackson, Oglala Lakota, and Pennington counties. The winners of the two seats were D-Peri Pourier with 29%, his mother R-Elizabeth May with 26.7% of the votes, Norma Rendon got 22.2% coming in 3rd with 2,350 votes, and finally Bud May (R) with 22.1% in last place with only two fewer votes than Rendon.