United States Senate election in South Dakota, 2026 (June 2 Democratic primary)

← 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 5, 2024
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in South Dakota
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Solid Republican 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, South Dakota U.S. Senate • At-large South Dakota elections, 2026 U.S. Congress elections, 2026 U.S. Senate elections, 2026 U.S. House elections, 2026 Alabama U.S. Senate raceAlaska U.S. Senate raceArkansas U.S. Senate raceColorado U.S. Senate raceDelaware U.S. Senate raceGeorgia U.S. Senate raceIdaho U.S. Senate raceIllinois U.S. Senate raceIowa U.S. Senate raceKansas U.S. Senate raceKentucky U.S. Senate raceLouisiana U.S. Senate raceMaine U.S. Senate raceMassachusetts U.S. Senate raceMichigan U.S. Senate raceMinnesota U.S. Senate raceMississippi U.S. Senate raceMontana U.S. Senate raceNebraska U.S. Senate raceNew Hampshire U.S. Senate raceNew Jersey U.S. Senate raceNew Mexico U.S. Senate raceNorth Carolina U.S. Senate raceOklahoma U.S. Senate raceOregon U.S. Senate raceRhode Island U.S. Senate raceSouth Carolina U.S. Senate raceSouth Dakota U.S. Senate raceTennessee U.S. Senate raceTexas U.S. Senate raceVirginia U.S. Senate raceWest Virginia U.S. Senate raceWyoming U.S. Senate raceSubmit

A Democratic Party primary takes place on June 2, 2026, in South Dakota to determine which Democratic candidate will run in the state's general election on November 5, 2024.

Candidate filing deadline	Primary election	General election
March 31, 2026	June 2, 2026	November 3, 2026

Heading into the election, the incumbent was Mike Rounds (Republican), who was first elected in 2014.

A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. South Dakota law allows parties to choose whether to let unaffiliated voters vote in their elections. For more information on recognized political parties in South Dakota and their primary policies, see here.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

This page focuses on South Dakota's United States Senate Democratic primary. For more in-depth information on the state's Republican primary and the general election, see the following pages:

• United States Senate election in South Dakota, 2026 (June 2 Republican primary)
• United States Senate election in South Dakota, 2026

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

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

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	There are no incumbents in this race.
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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.

Julian Beaudion

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "Julian is a public servant, law enforcement veteran, and small business owner running for the US Senate to bring principled, practical leadership to Washington. With over 13 years of experience as a South Dakota State Trooper and a proven record of service, Julian has built a career focused on accountability, safety, and strengthening the communities he calls home. In 2022, Julian was a Presidential nominee to serve as the U.S. Marshal for South Dakota, a reflection of his integrity, professionalism, and dedication to public safety. He has worked closely with local, state, and federal partners to uphold the rule of law while fostering trust between law enforcement and the public. Julian serves as ED of The HUB SD, an organization dedicated to advancing engagement, leadership development, and community-centered communication strategies across the state. In addition to his work in the public sector, he is also the owner of Swamp Daddy’s Cajun Kitchen, a successful restaurant in Sioux Falls that has become a hub for community connection and local entrepreneurship. Julian has advised on high-impact campaigns at every level, from local to presidential, and was selected as a 2024–2025 Obama Foundation Leader for his forward thinking approach to policy, strategy, and coalition-building. His campaign for U.S. Senate centers on people first. Julian is focused on quality healthcare, infrastructure, small businesses, federal workers, and education."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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I bring a law enforcement background with a community centered approach. With over 13 years as a South Dakota State Trooper and a nomination to serve as U.S. Marshal, I understand the importance of public safety, accountability, and trust in government. I’m committed to strengthening law enforcement while ensuring constitutional protections and individual liberties are upheld.

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I’m a small business owner who knows what it takes to meet a payroll, balance a budget, and grow in uncertain times. I will fight for pro-growth policies that support South Dakota’s entrepreneurs, farmers, and working families to cut red tape, lower costs, and expand opportunities across rural and urban communities alike.

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I believe in people over politics. My work leading a statewide nonprofit has taught me how to build coalitions, solve real problems, and listen more than I speak. In the U.S. Senate, I’ll be a voice for practical solutions, not political extremes, and I’ll put South Dakotans ahead of party lines every single time.

Voting information

See also: Voting in South Dakota

Ballotpedia will publish the dates and deadlines related to this election as they are made available.

Campaign finance

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
Julian Beaudion	Democratic Party	$146,311	$114,730	$31,081	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." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.

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

See also

• United States Senate election in South Dakota, 2026 (June 2 Republican primary)
• United States Senate election in South Dakota, 2026
• United States Senate Democratic Party primaries, 2026
• United States Senate Republican Party primaries, 2026
• United States Senate elections, 2026
• U.S. Senate battlegrounds, 2026

External links

Suggest a link

• Search Google News for this topic

Footnotes

[show]

South Dakota's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Mike Rounds (R)

John Thune (R)

Representatives

Dusty Johnson (R)

Republican Party (3)

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