United States Senate elections in South Dakota, 2014

U.S. Senate, South Dakota General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Mike Rounds	50.4%	140,741
	Democratic	Rick Weiland	29.5%	82,456
	Independent	Larry Pressler	17.1%	47,741
	Independent	Gordon Howie	3%	8,474
Total Votes				279,412
Source: South Dakota Secretary of State

2014 U.S. Senate Elections in South Dakota

General Election Date November 4, 2014

Primary Date June 3, 2014

November 4 Election Winner: Mike Rounds

Incumbent prior to election: Tim Johnson

Race Ratings Cook Political Report: Likely Republican Sabato's Crystal Ball: Likely R

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2014 U.S. House Elections

Voters in South Dakota elected one member to the U.S. Senate in the election on November 4, 2014.

Former Governor Mike Rounds, aided by the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), was able to fight back against the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee's (DSCC) pledge to spend $1 million to win the South Dakota Senate seat being vacated by Tim Johnson (D).

Initially, Democrats seemingly all but gave up hope they would be able to reclaim the Senate seat that was vacated by Tim Johnson (D). After Harry Reid openly threw his support behind a Democratic candidate who declined to run, Republicans were confident former South Dakota governor Mike Rounds (R) would handily defeat Rick Weiland (D), even with two conservative-leaning Independent candidates who had the potential to siphon away some votes.

After former Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D) - Reid's preferred candidate - declined to run, Republicans saw South Dakota's race as their best chance to pick up a seat in the Senate. A Republican strategist said, "Despite being a Democrat, she's well-liked in the state. She's still got really strong numbers. That would have been a legitimate battle with Rounds. She still would still have the same uphill sledding in a tough environment, but she would have made Rounds really work for the seat."

Without a significant challenger like Herseth Sandlin, Rounds was poised to defeat Weiland in the general election, an outcome supported by numerous polls conducted prior to the election. The Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call rated this race as “Republican Favored.” Weiland's lack of name recognition within the state and meager support from the national Democratic Party made victory for the popular former governor nearly a sure bet.

"I'd call it a tacit acknowledgement by the very thin ranks of Democrats here that South Dakota has pretty much transitioned to a single party state; and that their nominee is as good as we could expect given the state and national conditions," said David Wiltse, a professor of political science at South Dakota State University. Rounds' victory marked the first time in 28 years both South Dakota U.S. Senate seats were held by Republicans.

Rounds and Weiland shared the general election ballot with former Rep. and Senator Larry Pressler (I) and former South Dakota State Senator Gordon Howie (I), though neither posed a significant threat to Rounds' victory, based on polling data.

Candidate Filing Deadline	Primary Election	General Election
March 25, 2014	June 3, 2014	November 4, 2014

Primary: 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.

Voter registration: To vote in the primary, voters had to register by May 19, 2014. For the general election, the voter registration deadline was October 20, 2014.

See also: South Dakota elections, 2014

Incumbent: The election filled the Senate seat held by Tim Johnson (D). Johnson was first elected in 1996. He announced on March 25, 2013, that he would not seek another term in 2014.

Candidates

General election candidates

• Mike Roundsa
• Rick Weiland
• Larry Pressler
• Gordon Howie - Former South Dakota State Senator

June 3, 2014, primary results

Republican Primary

• Mike Rounds - Former governora
• Larry Rhoden - South Dakota State Senator
• Stace Nelson - South Dakota state legislator
• Annette Bosworth
• Jason Ravnsborg

Democratic Primary

• Rick Weilanda

Third Party Candidates

• Larry Pressler
• Gordon Howie - Former South Dakota State Senator

Removed from ballot

• Clayton Walker

Declined to run

• Brendan Johnson - Current U.S. Attorney for South Dakota
• Stephanie Herseth Sandlin - Former U.S. Representative
• Kristi Noem - Current U.S. Representative
• Bill Napoli - Former state senator

Election results

General election

U.S. Senate, South Dakota General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Mike Rounds	50.4%	140,741
	Democratic	Rick Weiland	29.5%	82,456
	Independent	Larry Pressler	17.1%	47,741
	Independent	Gordon Howie	3%	8,474
Total Votes				279,412
Source: South Dakota Secretary of State

Republican primary

Mike Rounds easily won the Republican primary on June 3, 2014.

U.S. Senate, South Dakota Republican Primary, 2014

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Mike Rounds	55.5%	41,377
Larry Rhoden	18.2%	13,593
Stace Nelson	17.7%	13,179
Annette Bosworth	5.7%	4,283
Jason Ravnsborg	2.8%	2,066
Total Votes		74,498
Source: South Dakota Secretary of State

Race background

Johnson's retirement

Three term Senator Tim Johnson (D) of South Dakota announced on March 25, 2013, that he would not seek another term in 2014.

In a news conference at his alma mater, the University of South Dakota, Johnson joked, "I will be 68 years old at the end of this term and it is time for me to say goodbye. As much as [my wife] Barbara would like me to run again, I have to say no. I'm honored and humbled that the people of South Dakota, Democrats, Republicans and independents, have allowed me to represent you in the state legislature, the United States House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate."

Johnson was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996 and won re-election in 2002. In 2006, Johnson suffered a brain hemorrhage that almost killed him, but he recovered and went on to run for and win re-election in 2008. When asked if his health was behind his decision not to run again, Johnson answered, "I feel great, but I must be honest. I appreciate that my right arm and right leg are not what they used to be and my speech is not entirely there. But I think mostly that it's time to go."

If he had made a bid for another term in the Senate, Johnson was expected to face a tough win for re-election and was considered vulnerable.

Johnson was the fifth Democratic Senator to announce plans to retire in 2014. Others include Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, Tom Harkin of Iowa, Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey, and Carl Levin of Michigan. Two Republican senators, Saxby Chambliss of Georgia and Mike Johanns of Nebraska, are also not making bids next year for another term in office.

The 2014 election was the first time since 1978 that South Dakota had an open Senate seat.

Mike Rounds

Rounds built a career in the private sector, becoming a partner at Fischer Rounds & Associates - an insurance and real estate firm with various locations across South Dakota - before being elected to the State Senate in 1990. He was successfully re-elected four times before being termed out in 2000. During his tenure, Rounds became Senate Minority Whip in 1993 and was subsequently chosen to be Senate Majority Leader two years later. In 2002, Rounds became the first resident of the capital city of Pierre to be elected governor.

He enjoyed high approval ratings during his eight-year tenure as governor. Rounds' popularity dipped slightly in 2006 - his approval rating dropped from 73 to 58 percent - after he signed a controversial bill that would ban nearly all abortions in the state, save those necessary to save the mother's life. The bill was repealed via the ballot that same year, and his ratings rebounded to 70 percent approval.

Rounds was a member of the Governor's Council of the Bipartisan Policy Council and co-leader of the "Health Project" at the Bipartisan Policy Center. He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus, Ducks Unlimited and the NRA (National Rifle Association).

EB-5

Rounds was tied to an EB-5 visa scandal, which may have been why his polling numbers briefly dropped. According to Argus Leader, EB-5 is "a federal program where immigrants can earn green cards for investing $500,000 in U.S. projects. As governor of South Dakota, Mike Rounds embraced it as an economic tool, but it's come under increased criticism as a result of high-profile bankruptcies and investigations." The program allowed wealthy foreign investors to put money into state businesses - in South Dakota's case, a beef slaughterhouse - in exchange for visas to live in the United States. The slaughterhouse went bankrupt, and many investors received neither their money nor their green cards.

Rick Weiland

Weiland's first foray into politics began shortly after he graduated from college when he began working for then-Congressman Tom Daschle (D). Daschle rose through the political ranks in Washington D.C., eventually becoming Senate Majority Leader; Weiland ascended right along with him, temporarily moving his family to D.C. to become Daschle's National Finance Director and Senior Advisor. Weiland worked for Daschle in various capacities until 1996, when he resigned to run for Congress. He won the primary but ultimately lost South Dakota's At-Large Congressional District to John Thune (R).

He made another bid for Congress in 2002 but lost the Democratic primary to Herseth Sandlin, formerly Stephanie Herseth. Throughout the course of his career, Weiland has served as FEMA regional director, the state director for the AARP and COO and CEO for the International Code Council, which is the nation’s leading advocate for uniform building codes and building safety. He operated two restaurants in downtown Sioux Falls with his wife.

Among some Democrats, Weiland was not the first choice to fill Johnson's seat. Both Herseth Sandlin and Johnson's son, Brendan, the U.S. Attorney for South Dakota, were recruited to run for the seat. However, they both declined, and Weiland ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Despite the urging of Sen. Tom Daschle, current Senate Majority Leader Reid openly stated that Weiland is “not my choice.” Some believed Reid was trying to convince Herseth Sandlin to reconsider running. Weiland, who worked for Daschle, has received support form his former boss in his bid for the Senate.

DSCC

Weiland's campaign, which was plagued by poor fundraising, a lack of name recognition within the state and meager support from the national Democratic Party, got a boost from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. In mid-October 2014, the DSCC pledged to spend $1 million to win South Dakota's open Senate seat.

Larry Pressler

Pressler's residence

Pressler listed his principal residence as Washington D.C. and received a "generous tax break" on it because of the homestead deduction. When asked why he did not have a residence in South Dakota, he said that he was not "a rich man and cannot afford to buy more than one house.” However, he owned an apartment in Manhattan and has a net worth of $847,000, according to Politico.

Pressler undecided

Pressler, who was expected to take votes from Rounds and Weiland, did not say which party he would caucus with, if elected.

Gordon Howie

Although Howie was registered as an Independent, he ran as a conservative candidate. Howie said, "I am a Republican philosophically. I am now a registered independent, but I fully embrace the Republican Party platform. That is a significant difference between me and some other Republicans who are running for office.”

Harry Reid's choice

After Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's preferred candidate former Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D) declined to run, Republicans have seen South Dakota's race as their best chance to pick up a seat in the Senate. A Republican strategist said, "Despite being a Democrat, she's well-liked in the state. She's still got really strong numbers. That would have been a legitimate battle with Rounds. She still would still have the same uphill sledding in a tough environment, but she would have made Rounds really work for the seat."

Annette Bosworth

Annette Bosworth was a Republican candidate seeking election to the U.S. Senate from South Dakota. She lost the Republican nomination in the primary on June 3, 2014, to Rounds. During her time on the campaign trail, she was dogged by hurdles and controversies that ultimately culminated in her arrest the day after the primary.

Petitions under review

On May 6, 2014, South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley (R) announced he would investigate nominating petitions submitted by Annette Bosworth and Clayton Walker. The results of the investigation may not be announced until after the election. Walker was removed from the primary election ballot for failing to submit the required number of valid signatures; he planned to challenge the ruling.

Failure to pay allegations

On May 7, 2014, Attorney General Jackley announced he would look into the allegations that Bosworth failed to pay former employees the amount they were owed. Leann Batiz, a nurse and one of six former employees who have said Bowsworth owes them money, wrote in a letter to state Rep. Steve Hickey, "After a few weeks of receiving $10 less an hour than I was paid as an RN, I started to have to beg for my paycheck every two weeks and she always 'negotiated' a lesser amount than I was owed."

Attack ad

On May 15, 2014, Bosworth released an ad attacking Rounds for commuting the sentence of Joaquin Ramos - who killed his pregnant girlfriend, Debbie Martines, in 1994 - from life in prison to 150 years, when Rounds was governor of South Dakota. Ramos had his first parole hearing in May 2014. According to Argus Leader, Rounds said he regretted his decision and would urge the parole board to keep Ramos in prison." The ad can be viewed here.

Press conference

Bosworth held a press conference at the end of May to condemn critics and the media for using hateful, misogynistic rhetoric to characterize her and other female candidates and politicians. She delivered her message in front of large signs featuring negative and profane words that people have called Bosworth during the campaign. During the conference Bosworth said, "The Democrats talk about a war on women, but much of what you see here is written by the supposedly tolerant liberals. They are hateful, they are hurtful and no person should have to endure it." The full press conference can be viewed here.

Bosworth's arrest

Bosworth was arrested the day after the primary on six counts of perjury and six counts of filing false election documents. Bosworth claims her former lawyer, Joel Arends, pressured her to perjure and sign false documents because he was secretly working for Mike Rounds' campaign (Arends is an attorney for the Rushmore PAC, a political action committee that supported Bosworth's rival Mike Rounds in the Republican primary). Bosworth also claims that Attorney General Jackley has a "political vendetta" against her based on Jackley's contributions to Rounds' campaign.

Documentary

After her arrest following the primary, Bosworth posted a Youtube video professing her innocence and announced that she was making a documentary about the race with filmmaker Lee Stranahan.

Voting trends in South Dakota

At the time of the 2014 election, politics in the state were primarily dominated by the Republican Party. South Dakotans had not voted for a Democratic president since 1964, even when one of their own - George McGovern (D) - was on the ticket in 1972. The last seven governors had all been Republicans, and the conservatives had maintained a trifecta - meaning they controlled the governor's mansion and held majorities in both chambers of the state legislature - since 1994. Democrats from South Dakota achieved some success in Congress, however. Several prominent Democrats have emerged from the state and sustained lengthy tenures, with former Senators Tom Daschle and George McGovern (D) and retiring Senator Johnson (D) among them.

South Dakota presidential popular vote breakdown by party

Issues

See also: Energy and the 2014 election: the ballots and beyond

Campaign themes

Mike Rounds

Rounds listed the following issues on his website:

“	Obamacare Mike opposes Obamacare and would work to repeal and replace it with market-based, patient-centered solutions. Mike adamantly opposes a single-payer system and meaningless adjustments. Medicare Mike supports Medicare for our seniors. Obamacare threatens Medicare’s solvency. Mike will defend and protect Medicare. Using Medicare cuts to offset Obamacare costs is wrong. Balanced Budget South Dakota balances its budget every single year. The federal government should do the same. Mike supports a balanced budget amendment. The federal government should pass a budget every year. Mike commends the house republicans for at least taking steps to pass a budget. Although he appreciates their effort, Mike's long taken the position that he disagrees with any cuts to Medicare. For that reason, Mike does not currently support the budget plan offered by congressman Ryan, specifically because of the unclear revisions to Medicare. Deficit / Debt By law, South Dakota must balance its budget every year. We don’t spend more than we receive and we always live within our means. The federal deficit is approaching $18 trillion dollars and we must reverse this trend before it crushes our economy. Federal Government Overreach Pass the REINS Act. There are now more than one million federal regulations impacting Americans and driving up costs. If the Obama regulatory system were a country, it would be the tenth largest economy in the world! We need to get the bureaucracy under control. We need to return to a system of reasonable regulation and defer to local units of government as much as possible. It’s time to take the government back from the bureaucrats. Keystone Pipeline Mike supports the Keystone Pipeline. Energy Independence Mike believes in a “North American” solution to our dependence on foreign energy. All forms of domestic energy should be pursued. Mike does not believe in higher taxes on energy producers. The President’s current energy policy attacking traditional energy sources will cost the average American family about $140 more per month than they’re currently paying. Entitlement Reform Mike believes meaningful and appropriate reforms must take place, if the U.S. is to balance its budget. Current entitlement programs are not solvent and federal deficit spending already threatens our national economy. However, any reforms must also take into consideration current beneficiaries and the long-term economic impact. Taxes In South Dakota, “profit” isn’t a dirty word. Mike believes you should be able to keep more of your own paycheck! The federal tax system is a mess. It must be reformed and streamlined. All federal tax rates should be lowered and the base broadened. This approach will encourage job creation and capital investment. 2nd Amendment Mike is a strong supporter of your second amendment rights. He does not support additional regulations that restrict gun ownership. Family Values Mike supports the South Dakota Constitution and the traditional definition of marriage. Pro-Life Mike is pro-life. National Defense Mike believes the primary responsibility of the federal government is funding and training armed forces adequately to protect our citizens and to secure our borders. Education Mike believes in local control of education, and while standards are important, a “one size fits all” directive from the federal government does not serve our children well. Mike will seek to abolish the US Department of Education and defund its budget including the 5000 employees with an average annual salary of $102,000 each. EB-5 EB-5 is a federal program that allows qualified and approved foreign investors the opportunity to receive United States work visas (not citizenship) if they invest in American companies and create jobs. Applicants must be approved by the Department of Homeland Security before they are granted work visas. In 1990 Congress created the EB-5 program on a bipartisan basis, and since then the program has operated across our country. Federal reports show that more than $600 million has been invested in South Dakota companies and more than 5,000 jobs created. Mike will continue to be transparent, open and honest with anyone looking for answers regarding the operation of the federal EB-5 program. To learn more about Mike's position on the EB-5 program, please read his Op-Ed on the subject.	”
—Mike Rounds, http://web.archive.org/web/20141014203357/https://roundsforsenate.com/about/on-the-issues/

Race ratings

Most vulnerable seats

The Fiscal Times compiled a list of the seven most vulnerable Senate seats up for election in 2014. The seven included in the list were: Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Dakota and West Virginia. Going into the 2014 election, all seven seats were held by Democrats.

Polls

Rounds v. Weiland v. Pressler v. Howie
Poll	Mike Rounds	Rick Weiland	Larry Pressler	Gordon Howie	Undecided	Margin of Error	Sample Size
Monmouth University Poll Oct. 24-27, 2014	45%	31%	19%	1%	4%	+/-4.7	429
NBC News/Marist Poll Oct. 24, 2014	43%	29%	16%	3%	9%	+/-3.6	730
Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Oct. 20-23, 2014	42%	33%	13%	2%	10%	+/-3.5	800
Harper Polling Oct. 18-20, 2014	48%	24%	24%	3%	12%	+/-4.38	500
Harper Polling Oct. 9-11, 2014	37%	33%	23%	5%	2%	+/-3.9	630
Survey USA Oct. 1-4, 2014	35%	28%	32%	3%	2%	+/-4	616
Public Policy Polling Sept. 29-30, 2014	35%	28%	24%	8%	5%	+/-3.7	703
NBP/NPN Sept. 21-25, 2014	39%	26%	24%	4%	7%	+/-3.24	647
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

Rounds v. Weiland v. Pressler v. Howie v. Walker
Poll	Mike Rounds	Rick Weiland	Larry Pressler	Gordon Howie	Clayton Walker	Undecided	Margin of Error	Sample Size
Survey USA May 6- May 10, 2014	44%	30%	17%	3%	2%	5%	+/-4.5	504
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

Rounds v. Weiland v. Pressler v. Howie
Poll	Mike Rounds	Rick Weiland	Larry Pressler	Gordon Howie	Margin of Error	Sample Size
Public Policy Polling April 30- May 1, 2014	38%	28%	15%	4%	+/-3.6	745
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

Mike Rounds vs. Rick Weiland
Poll	Mike Rounds	Rick Weiland	Someone else	Undecided	Margin of Error	Sample Size
Rasmussen Reports (February 25-26, 2014)	51%	31%	6%	11%	+/-4.5	500
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org

Endorsements

Mike Rounds

Rounds was endorsed by the following people:

• Sen. John Thune
• Former Sen. Rick Santorum
• Former Gov. Mike Huckabee
• Former Gov. Sonny Perdue

Rick Weiland

Weiland was endorsed by the following:

• The Great Plains Tribal Chairman's Association
• Council for a Livable World
• Democracy For America
• National Nurses United
• Sierra Club
• United Auto Workers

Larry Pressler

Pressler was endorsed by the following:

• Centrist Project
• Retired FBI agent John Good

Media

Debates

On May 15, 2014, the candidates for U.S. Senate met in a televised debate, which can be viewed on South Dakota Public Broadcasting's website.

Mike Rounds

Rounds for Senate, "Ready to Work."

Rounds for Senate, "Leader."

Rounds for Senate, "Pro-Business."

Rounds for Senate, "Fiscal Conservative."

Rounds for Senate, "Approachable."

Rounds for Senate, "Economic development."

Rounds for Senate, "Values."

Rounds for Senate, "#ShameOnRick."

Rounds for Senate, "Mike Rounds on the Issues."

Rounds for Senate, "Work Ethic."

Rounds for Senate, "Here They Go Again."

Rounds for Senate, "That's All They've Got."

Rounds for Senate, "Veterans and Values."

Rounds for Senate, "Homestake Lab: Gold Mine of Research and Jobs."

Rounds for Senate, "Trust."

Rounds for Senate, "The Truth."

Rounds for Senate, "Our Values & Keystone."

Rounds for Senate, "Our Values & Guns."

NRSC

National Republican Senatorial Committee, "Just Like."

Rick Weiland

Rick Weiland, "Take It Back."

Rick Weiland, "Everywhere Man."

Rick Weiland, "Starting Over."

Rick Weiland, "Bring On The Road."

Rick Weiland, "Incredibly Fast 1."

Rick Weiland, "Incredibly Fast 2."

Rick Weiland, "David vs. Goliath."

Rick Weiland, "Coffee at Kairos."

Rick Weiland, "Auction."

Rick Weiland, "Hard Work."

Rick Weiland, "Abacus."

Rick Weiland, "Headlines."

Rick Weiland, "Showing Up."

Rick Weiland, "Big Wheel."

Rick Weiland, "South Dakota."

Rick Weiland, "Rest of Us."

MAYDAY

MAYDAY, "Church Bandmate says 'Rick is running to take our country back'."

Larry Pressler

Pressler for Senate, "American Hustle."

Pressler for Senate, "Independent Honesty."

"Pressler for Senate, "Walter Cronkite on Larry Pressler."

Pressler for Senate, "Pressler, Reagan, and Clinton."

Pressler for Senate, "30 Second Bio."

"Pressler for Senate, "Why Larry Pressler is Running as an Independent."

Gordon Howie

Gordon Howie, "God & Politics."

Gordon Howie, "Make Up Your Own Mind: 30."

Gordon Howie, "Truth Train Intro."

Gordon Howie, "Truth Train Will Work for Taxpayers."

Gordon Howie, "Truth Train State Fair."

Gordon Howie, "Sept 8 Fund Raiser."

Gordon Howie, "Truth Train - They've Got a Secret."

Gordon Howie, "Truth Train - Pro-Life from the Start."

Gordon Howie, "Truth Train - Crony Capitalism."

Gordon Howie, "Truth Train - A Question on the 2nd Amendment."

Gordon Howie, "Truth Train - James Polk and Principle in Politics."

Gordon Howie, "Truth Train - Calvin Coolidge and Taxes."

Gordon Howie, "The Clear Choice."

Larry Rhoden

"Larry Rhoden for US Senate."

Annette Bosworth

Bosworth released an ad attacking Rounds for commuting the sentence of Joaquin Ramos, who killed his pregnant girlfriend, Debbie Martines, in 1994, from life in prison to 150 years, when Rounds was governor of South Dakota. Ramos will have his first parole hearing in May 2014. According to Argus Leader, Rounds said he regretted his decision and would urge the parole board to keep Ramos in prison."

"Rounds Commute Ad."

Campaign contributions

Candidate ballot access
Find detailed information on ballot access requirements in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Mike Rounds

Candidates for Congress were required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Rounds' reports.

Mike Rounds (2014) Campaign Finance Reports
Report	Date Filed	Beginning Balance	Total Contributions for Reporting Period	Expenditures	Cash on Hand
April Quarterly	June 5, 2013	$253,143.15	$185,813.00	$(67,654.86)	$371,301.29
July Quarterly	July 15, 2013	$371,301.29	$603,468.80	$(216,881.74)	$757,888.35
October Quarterly	October 15, 2013	$757,888.35	$607,299.06	$(350,365.93)	$1,014,821.48
Year-End	January 29, 2014	$1,014,821	$519,234	$(370,482)	$1,163,573
April Quarterly	August 25, 2014	$1,154,665.53	$731,289.28	$(881,926.83)	$1,004,027.98
July Quarterly	August 25, 2014	$618,458.97	$626,128.54	$(489,786.68)	$754,800.83
			Running totals
			$3,273,232.68	$(2,377,098.04)

Rick Weiland

Candidates for Congress were required to file reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Weiland's reports.

Rick Weiland (2014) Campaign Finance Reports
Report	Date Filed	Beginning Balance	Total Contributions for Reporting Period	Expenditures	Cash on Hand
July Quarterly	July 15, 2013	$0	$205,941	$(5,908)	$200,032
October Quarterly	October 15, 2013	$200,032	$169,679	$(54,505)	$315,206
Year-End	January 31, 2014	$315,206	$160,647	$(91,146)	$384,706
April Quarterly	April 15, 2014	$384,706.65	$203,838.78	$(103,180.65)	$485,364.78
Pre-Primary	May 16, 2014	$485,364.78	$93,091.01	$(268,396.58)	$0
July Quarterly	September 30, 2014	$319,468.41	$260,827.92	$(121,642.72)	$458,653.61
			Running totals
			$1,094,024.71	$(644,778.95)

Larry Pressler

Candidates for Congress were required to file reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Pressler's reports.

Larry Pressler (2014) Campaign Finance Reports
Report	Date Filed	Beginning Balance	Total Contributions for Reporting Period	Expenditures	Cash on Hand
Year-End	January 31, 2014	$0	$29,850	$(2,250)	$27,600
April Quarterly	April 10, 2014	$25,155.92	$39,453.61	$(27,860.34)	$36,749.19
July Quarterly	July 15, 2014	$28,805.72	$35,141.09	$(6,698.26)	$57,248.55
			Running totals
			$104,444.7	$(36,808.6)

Larry Rhoden

Candidates for Congress were required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Rhoden's reports.

Larry Rhoden (2014) Campaign Finance Reports
Report	Date Filed	Beginning Balance	Total Contributions for Reporting Period	Expenditures	Cash on Hand
October Quarterly	October 14, 2013	$0.00	$62,550.00	$(6,819.69)	$55,730.31
Year-End	January 30, 2014	$55,730	$37,740	$(20,608)	$72,862
April Quarterly	April 14, 2014	$72,862.15	$15,988.00	$(10,752.21)	$78,097.94
			Running totals
			$116,278	$(38,179.9)

Stace Nelson

Candidates for Congress were required to file reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Nelson's reports.

Stace Nelson (2014) Campaign Finance Reports
Report	Date Filed	Beginning Balance	Total Contributions for Reporting Period	Expenditures	Cash on Hand
October Quarterly	October 15, 2013	$0	$57,480	$(30,842)	$26,637
Year-End	January 31, 2014	$26,637	$31,040	$(23,932)	$33,745
April Quarterly	April 16, 2014	$33,745.63	$28,414.34	$(28,727.63)	$33,432.34
			Running totals
			$116,934.34	$(83,501.63)

Annette Bosworth

Candidates for Congress were required to file up to seven main reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Bosworth's reports.

Annette Bosworth (2014) Campaign Finance Reports
Report	Date Filed	Beginning Balance	Total Contributions for Reporting Period	Expenditures	Cash on Hand
October Quarterly	October 15, 2013	$0.00	$50,229.06	$(21,506.90)	$28,722.16
Year-End	January 31, 2014	$28,722	$315,314	$(94,391)	$249,645
April Quarterly	April 15, 2014	$249,645.18	$772,326.66	$(673,539.43)	$348,432.41
			Running totals
			$1,137,869.72	$(789,437.33)

Election history

Voting trends in South Dakota

Politics in the state have primarily been dominated by the Republican Party. South Dakotans have not voted for a Democratic president since 1964, even when one of their own - George McGovern (D) - was on the ticket in 1972. The last seven governors have all been Republicans, and the conservatives have maintained a trifecta - meaning they control the governor's mansion and have majorities in both chambers of the state legislature - since 1994. Democrats from South Dakota have achieved some success in Congress, however. Several prominent Democrats have emerged from the state and sustained lengthy tenures, with former Senators Tom Daschle and George McGovern (D) and current Senator Johnson (D) among them.

South Dakota presidential popular vote breakdown by party

2008

On November 4, 2008, Johnson won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Joel Dykstra in the general election.

U.S. Senate, South Dakota General Election, 2008
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Tim Johnson Incumbent	62.5%	237,889
	Republican	Joel Dykstra	37.5%	142,784
Total Votes				380,673

See also

• United States House of Representatives elections in South Dakota, 2014
• United States Senate elections, 2014
• BP News: South Dakota Senator announces plan to retire in 2014
• BP News: Discussion begins on possible candidates for Senate seat in South Dakota

External links

• South Dakota Secretary of State website
• List of primary candidates from SD Secretary of State

Footnotes

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South Dakota's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Mike Rounds (R)

John Thune (R)

Representatives

Dusty Johnson (R)

Republican Party (3)