Recent gains in Democratic Party registration in South Dakota are tied to the party's presidential race and are unlikely to cause a shift in power in future state elections, according to the state Republican chairman.

As of mid-May, there were 192,037 Democrats in the state, up more than 4,000 in a six-week span. Republican numbers rose by 322 over that period, but the GOP still has the numerical advantage with 235,965 registered voters.

State GOP chairman Karl Adam of Pierre said he's not overly concerned with the Democrats' growth, since South Dakota still is a GOP state and the party remains "at the top of the pile."

"We maintain a majority in the (state) House and Senate. We need to step up to the plate and be the party of leadership and the party of majority again in 2008," Adam said. "This will give us a great opportunity and it will give us great impetus to get out and campaign hard."

But, Adam warned, "we can't rest on our past."

He said it's only natural that South Dakota's Democrats are in the spotlight, given the party's tight race to name a presidential candidate.

"It's been a long time coming that a small state like South Dakota plays a pivotal role in selecting a potential presidential nominee and as a result of that, they're getting a lot of play," Adam said. "By no means are (Republicans) panicking. I think it will be a flash in the pan."

Adam said it "stands to reason" that Democrat registration is increasing, given the interest in the party's June 3 presidential primary between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. He said it doesn't necessarily mean people will remain Democrats after the primary, since voters can change their party registration at will.