United States Senate election in South Dakota, 2026
|
← 2022
|
| U.S. Senate, South Dakota |
|---|
| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: March 31, 2026 |
| Primary: June 2, 2026 Primary runoff: July 28, 2026 General: November 3, 2026 |
| How to vote |
| Poll times:
7 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Race ratings |
DDHQ and The Hill: Pending Inside Elections: Solid Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Republican |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026 |
| See also |
U.S. Senate • At-large South Dakota elections, 2026 U.S. Congress elections, 2026 U.S. Senate elections, 2026 U.S. House elections, 2026 |
Voters in South Dakota will elect one member to the U.S. Senate in the general election on November 3, 2026. The primary is June 2, 2026. The filing deadline is March 31, 2026. The election will fill the Class II Senate seat held by Mike Rounds (R), who first took office in 2015. For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:
- United States Senate election in South Dakota, 2026 (June 2 Democratic primary)
- United States Senate election in South Dakota, 2026 (June 2 Republican primary)
Candidates and election results
Note: The following list includes official candidates only. Ballotpedia defines official candidates as people who:
- Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline
- Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies
General election
The primary will occur on June 2, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. Additional general election candidates will be added here following the primary.
General election for U.S. Senate South Dakota
Brian Bengs is running in the general election for U.S. Senate South Dakota on November 3, 2026.
Candidate | ||
Brian Bengs (Independent) ![]() | ||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. Senate South Dakota
Julian Beaudion is running in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate South Dakota on June 2, 2026.
Candidate | ||
Julian Beaudion ![]() | ||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate South Dakota
Incumbent Mike Rounds and Justin McNeal are running in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate South Dakota on June 2, 2026.
Candidate | ||
| Mike Rounds | ||
| Justin McNeal | ||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.
Voting information
- See also: Voting in South Dakota
Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
Survey responses from candidates in this race
Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
| Collapse all
Brian Bengs (Independent)
Getting America's finances in order will be a battle with Big Money interests that do not want to pay their fair share, but it can and must be done. Big Money also owns the Supreme Court so we must address its corruption to ensure it doesn't simply veto necessary changes. If regular people set aside partisanship and unite with righteous grit we can make it happen by doing these things:
- Get Money Out of Politics
- Target & Eliminate Corruption
- Hold The Supreme Court Accountable
- Get Term Limits In Place
- Take Power Away From Self-Serving Partisans
- Unrig The Tax Code
- Balance The Budget & Pay Down The Debt
Government exists to create a stable and safe society where regular people can enjoy the liberty to lead a life of meaning and purpose—whatever that means to you. Here’s what needs to happen so that goal is realized:
- Make Daily Life More Affordable - Establish Affordable & Accessible Healthcare - Safeguard Social Security & Medicare
- Keep Government Out of Your BusinessBrian Bengs (Independent)
Campaign finance
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Rounds | Republican Party | $2,792,218 | $1,656,323 | $2,818,417 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Julian Beaudion | Democratic Party | $146,311 | $114,730 | $31,081 | As of September 30, 2025 |
| Justin McNeal | Republican Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
| Brian Bengs | Independent | $154,886 | $125,175 | $29,710 | As of September 30, 2025 |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2026. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
|||||
General election race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[1]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[2][3][4]
| Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in South Dakota, 2026 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| 1/20/2026 | 1/13/2026 | 1/6/2026 | 12/23/2025 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Decision Desk HQ and The Hill | Pending | Pending | Pending | Pending | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | Safe Republican | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week. | |||||||||
Ballot access
The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in South Dakota in the 2026 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in South Dakota, click here.
| Filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates, 2026 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Office | Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source |
| South Dakota | U.S. Senate | Republican | 1,730 | N/A | 3/31/2026 | Source |
| South Dakota | U.S. Senate | Democratic | 1,615 | N/A | 3/31/2026 | Source |
| South Dakota | U.S. Senate | Libertarian | 50 | N/A | 3/31/2026 | Source |
| South Dakota | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 3,393 | N/A | 4/28/2026 | Source |
Election history
The section below details election results for this state's U.S. Senate elections dating back to 2016.
2022
General election
General election for U.S. Senate South Dakota
Incumbent John Thune defeated Brian Bengs and Tamara Lesnar in the general election for U.S. Senate South Dakota on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | John Thune (R) | 69.6 | 242,316 | |
| Brian Bengs (D) | 26.1 | 91,007 | ||
Tamara Lesnar (L) ![]() | 4.2 | 14,697 | ||
| Total votes: 348,020 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Clayton Walker (Independent)
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Brian Bengs advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate South Dakota.
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate South Dakota
Incumbent John Thune defeated Bruce Whalen and Mark Mowry in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate South Dakota on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | John Thune | 72.2 | 85,613 | |
Bruce Whalen ![]() | 20.3 | 24,071 | ||
Mark Mowry ![]() | 7.4 | 8,827 | ||
| Total votes: 118,511 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for U.S. Senate South Dakota
Tamara Lesnar advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. Senate South Dakota on April 23, 2022.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Tamara Lesnar (L) ![]() | |
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2020
General election
General election for U.S. Senate South Dakota
Incumbent Mike Rounds defeated Dan Ahlers in the general election for U.S. Senate South Dakota on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Mike Rounds (R) | 65.7 | 276,232 | |
Dan Ahlers (D) ![]() | 34.3 | 143,987 | ||
| Total votes: 420,219 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. Dan Ahlers advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate South Dakota.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Clara Hart (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate South Dakota
Incumbent Mike Rounds defeated Scyller Borglum in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate South Dakota on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Mike Rounds | 75.2 | 70,365 | |
| Scyller Borglum | 24.8 | 23,164 | ||
| Total votes: 93,529 | ||||
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | 71.8% | 265,516 | ||
| Democratic | Jay Williams | 28.2% | 104,140 | |
| Total Votes | 369,656 | |||
| Source: South Dakota Secretary of State | ||||
Election analysis
Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.
- Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
- Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
- State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
- Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.
Cook PVI by congressional district
| District | Incumbent | PVI |
|---|---|---|
| South Dakota's At-Large | Dusty Johnson | R+15 |
2024 presidential results by 2026 congressional district lines
| District | Kamala Harris | Donald Trump |
|---|---|---|
| South Dakota's At-Large | 34.0% | 63.0% |
| Source: The Downballot | ||
2016-2024
How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:
| County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
| Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
| Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
| New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
| Republican | |||||||
| Status | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 | ||||
| Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
| Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
| Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
| New Republican | D | D | R | ||||
Following the 2024 presidential election, 94.8% of South Dakotans lived in one of the state's 60 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2016 to 2024, and 4.9% lived in one of 5 Solid Democratic counties. Overall, South Dakota was Solid Republican, having voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016, Donald Trump (R) in 2020, and Donald Trump (R) in 2024. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in South Dakota following the 2024 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.
| South Dakota county-level statistics, 2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid Republican | 60 | 94.8% | |||||
| Solid Democratic | 5 | 4.9% | |||||
| Battleground Republican | 1 | 0.3% | |||||
| Total voted Democratic | 5 | 4.9% | |||||
| Total voted Republican | 61 | 95.1% | |||||
Historical voting trends
South Dakota presidential election results (1900-2024)
- 3 Democratic wins
- 28 Republican wins
- 1 other win
| Year | 1900 | 1904 | 1908 | 1912 | 1916 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1940 | 1944 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winning Party | R | R | R | P[5] | R | R | R | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.
U.S. Senate elections
The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in South Dakota.
Gubernatorial elections
- See also: Governor of South Dakota
The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in South Dakota.
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of South Dakota's congressional delegation as of October 2025.
| Congressional Partisan Breakdown from South Dakota | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | U.S. Senate | U.S. House | Total |
| Democratic | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vacancies | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 1 | 3 |
State executive
The table below displays the officeholders in South Dakota's top four state executive offices as of October 2025.
| Office | Officeholder |
|---|---|
| Governor | |
| Lieutenant Governor | |
| Secretary of State | |
| Attorney General |
State legislature
South Dakota State Senate
| Party | As of January 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 3 | |
| Republican Party | 32 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 35 | |
South Dakota House of Representatives
| Party | As of January 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 5 | |
| Republican Party | 65 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 70 | |
Trifecta control
South Dakota Party Control: 1992-2025
No Democratic trifectas • Thirty-two years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | R | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| House | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
The table below details demographic data in South Dakota and compares it to the broader United States as of 2023.
| Demographic Data for South Dakota | ||
|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | United States | |
| Population | 886,667 | 331,449,281 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 75,807 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 81.5% | 63.4% |
| Black/African American | 2.2% | 12.4% |
| Asian | 1.4% | 5.8% |
| Native American | 7.7% | 0.9% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| Other (single race) | 1.4% | 6.6% |
| Multiple | 5.6% | 10.7% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 4.6% | 19% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 93% | 89.4% |
| College graduation rate | 31.1% | 35% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $72,421 | $78,538 |
| Persons below poverty level | 12% | 12.4% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2018-2023). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ Progressive Party
