United States Senate election in South Dakota, 2022
← 2020
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U.S. Senate, South Dakota |
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Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
Election details |
Filing deadline: March 29, 2022 |
Primary: June 7, 2022 Primary runoff: August 16, 2022 General: November 8, 2022 |
How to vote |
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in South Dakota |
Race ratings |
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, 2022 |
See also |
U.S. Senate • At-large South Dakota elections, 2022 U.S. Congress elections, 2022 U.S. Senate elections, 2022 U.S. House elections, 2022 |
Voters in South Dakota elected one member to the U.S. Senate in the general election on November 8, 2022. The primary was scheduled for June 7, 2022, and a primary runoff was scheduled for August 16, 2022. The filing deadline was March 29, 2022.
The election filled the Class III Senate seat held by John Thune (R), who first took office in 2005. The outcome of this race affected the partisan balance of the U.S. Senate in 2022. Democrats retained their majority and gained one net seat, with the Senate's post-election partisan balance at 51 Democrats and 49 Republicans.
Thirty-five of 100 seats were up for election, including one special election.[1] At the time of the election, Democrats had an effective majority, with the chamber split 50-50 and Vice President Kamala Harris (D) having the tie-breaking vote.[2] Of the seats up for election in 2022, Democrats held 14 and Republicans held 21.
For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:
- United States Senate election in South Dakota, 2022 (June 7 Republican primary)
- United States Senate election in South Dakota, 2022 (June 7 Democratic primary)
Candidates and election results
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 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates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 | ||||
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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) |
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. | ||||
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Voting information
- See also: Voting in South Dakota
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
|Tamara Lesnar (L)
All three branches of government have been ignoring and violating the Constitution. Changing the rules for power plays and control when it suits them.
Too many legislators are grandstanding instead of working cooperatively with all parties to get work done for the people.
Tamara Lesnar (L)
The work of government is to improve life for the people, protect the nation from enemies, both foreign and domestic, and preserve the liberties enjoyed by our nation. The 9th and 10th amendments to the Constitution remind us that rights belong to the people and government only has those rights that the people are willing to grant it. Just because the Constitution does not specifically grant a particular right to the people does not mean that the people are not entitled to that right.
Too often our government acts like rights belong to the government and that they do the people a favor by granting them rights. We the people grant rights to the government and permit the government to make laws. Our nation depends on the rule of law. No one person is above the law.Tamara Lesnar (L)
Tamara Lesnar (L)
Tamara Lesnar (L)
Tamara Lesnar (L)
My empathy and environmental consciousness are related to my belief that every person is a human being of equal value regardless of physical attributes. As God's children we are all brothers and sisters.
Kindness matters.Tamara Lesnar (L)
Tamara Lesnar (L)
Tamara Lesnar (L)
Tamara Lesnar (L)
Tamara Lesnar (L)
Tamara Lesnar (L)
Tamara Lesnar (L)
Global climate change and the environment. There are political forces trying to make America a theocracy. The Constitution prohibits this. I would oppose any law, official, or government action that advocates for theocracy.
The challenges and risks that result from artificial intelligenceTamara Lesnar (L)
Tamara Lesnar (L)
Tamara Lesnar (L)
Tamara Lesnar (L)
Tamara Lesnar (L)
Tamara Lesnar (L)
Tamara Lesnar (L)
Tamara Lesnar (L)
Tamara Lesnar (L)
Tamara Lesnar (L)
Tamara Lesnar (L)
Campaign finance
This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election.[3] It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees.[4] Click here to view the reporting schedule for candidates for U.S. Congress in 2022.
U.S. Congress campaign reporting schedule, 2022 | ||
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Report | Close of books | Filing deadline |
Year-end 2021 | 12/31/2021 | 1/31/2022 |
April quarterly | 3/31/2022 | 4/15/2022 |
July quarterly | 6/30/2022 | 7/15/2022 |
October quarterly | 9/30/2022 | 10/15/2022 |
Pre-general | 10/19/2022 | 10/27/2022 |
Post-general | 11/28/2022 | 12/08/2022 |
Year-end 2022 | 12/31/2022 | 1/31/2023 |
Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
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John Thune | Republican Party | $13,176,739 | $6,877,438 | $16,942,233 | As of December 31, 2022 |
Brian Bengs | Democratic Party | $497,968 | $492,267 | $5,701 | As of December 31, 2022 |
Mark Mowry | Republican Party | $35,474 | $35,449 | $25 | As of June 15, 2022 |
Bruce Whalen | Republican Party | $75,564 | $75,564 | $0 | As of November 23, 2022 |
Tamara Lesnar | Libertarian Party | $0 | $0 | $0 | Data not available*** |
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2022. 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 three outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato's Crystal Ball. 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.[5]
- 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.[6][7][8]
Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in South Dakota, 2022 | |||||||||
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Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
November 8, 2022 | November 1, 2022 | October 25, 2022 | October 18, 2022 | ||||||
The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | Solid Republican | |||||
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 2022 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in South Dakota, click here.
Filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates, 2022 | ||||||
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State | Office | Party | Signatures required | Filing fee | Filing deadline | Source |
South Dakota | U.S. Senate | Republican | 1,730 | N/A | 3/29/2022 | Source |
South Dakota | U.S. Senate | Democratic | 1,615 | N/A | 3/29/2022 | Source |
South Dakota | U.S. Senate | Libertarian | 50 | N/A | 3/29/2022 | Source |
South Dakota | U.S. Senate | Unaffiliated | 3,393 | N/A | 4/26/2022 | Source |
Election history
2020
See also: United States Senate election in South Dakota, 2020
United States Senate election in South Dakota, 2020 (June 2 Democratic primary)
United States Senate election in South Dakota, 2020 (June 2 Republican primary)
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 | ||||
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. | ||||
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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 | ||||
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 |
2014
Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | 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 |
Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
|
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 |
2010
On November 2, 2010, Thune won re-election to the United States Senate. He ran unopposed in the general election.[9]
U.S. Senate, South Dakota General Election, 2010 | ||||
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Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
Republican | 100% | 227,947 | ||
Total Votes | 227,947 |
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.
Presidential elections
Cook PVI by congressional district
Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index for South Dakota, 2022 | |||
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District | Incumbent | Party | PVI |
South Dakota's At-Large | Dusty Johnson | R+16 |
2020 presidential results by 2022 congressional district lines
2020 presidential results in congressional districts based on 2022 district lines, South Dakota[10] | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
District | Joe Biden |
Donald Trump | ||
South Dakota's At-Large | 35.6% | 61.8% |
2012-2020
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 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:
County-level voting pattern categories | |||||||
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Democratic | |||||||
Status | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | ||||
Solid Democratic | D | D | D | ||||
Trending Democratic | R | D | D | ||||
Battleground Democratic | D | R | D | ||||
New Democratic | R | R | D | ||||
Republican | |||||||
Status | 2012 | 2016 | 2020 | ||||
Solid Republican | R | R | R | ||||
Trending Republican | D | R | R | ||||
Battleground Republican | R | D | R | ||||
New Republican | D | D | R |
Following the 2020 presidential election, 91.9% of South Dakotans lived in one of the state's 56 Solid Republican counties, which voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election from 2012 to 2020, and 5.1% lived in one of five Solid Democratic counties. Overall, South Dakota was Solid Republican, having voted for Mitt Romney (R) in 2012, Donald Trump (R) in 2016, and Donald Trump (R) in 2020. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in South Dakota following the 2020 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.
South Dakota county-level statistics, 2020 | |||||||
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Solid Republican | 56 | 91.9% | |||||
Solid Democratic | 5 | 5.1% | |||||
Trending Republican | 4 | 2.7% | |||||
Battleground Democratic | 1 | 0.3% | |||||
Total voted Democratic | 6 | 5.4% | |||||
Total voted Republican | 60 | 94.6% |
Historical voting trends
South Dakota presidential election results (1900-2020)
- 3 Democratic wins
- 27 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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Winning Party | R | R | R | P[11] | 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 |
Statewide elections
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.
U.S. Senate election results in South Dakota | ||
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Race | Winner | Runner up |
2020 | 65.7% |
34.3% |
2016 | 71.8% |
28.2% |
2014 | 50.4% |
29.5% |
2010 | 100% |
Uncontested |
2008 | 62.5% |
37.5% |
Average | 62.6 | 32.4 |
Gubernatorial elections
- See also: Governor of South Dakota
The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in South Dakota.
Gubernatorial election results in South Dakota | ||
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Race | Winner | Runner up |
2018 | 51.0% |
47.6% |
2014 | 70.5% |
25.4% |
2010 | 61.5% |
38.5% |
2006 | 61.7% |
36.1% |
2002 | 56.8% |
41.9% |
Average | 60.3 | 37.9 |
State partisanship
Congressional delegation
The table below displays the partisan composition of South Dakota's congressional delegation as of November 2022.
Congressional Partisan Breakdown from South Dakota, November 2022 | |||
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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 November 2022.
State executive officials in South Dakota, November 2022 | |
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Office | Officeholder |
Governor | |
Lieutenant Governor | |
Secretary of State | |
Attorney General |
State legislature
The tables below highlight the partisan composition of the South Dakota State Legislature as of November 2022.
South Dakota State Senate
Party | As of November 2022 | |
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Democratic Party | 3 | |
Republican Party | 32 | |
Vacancies | 0 | |
Total | 35 |
South Dakota House of Representatives
Party | As of November 2022 | |
---|---|---|
Democratic Party | 8 | |
Republican Party | 62 | |
Vacancies | 0 | |
Total | 70 |
Trifecta control
As of November 2022, South Dakota was a Republican trifecta, with majorities in both chambers of the state legislature and control of the governorship. The table below displays the historical trifecta status of the state.
South Dakota Party Control: 1992-2022
No Democratic trifectas • Twenty-nine 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 |
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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 |
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 |
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 |
Demographics
The table below details demographic data in South Dakota and compares it to the broader United States as of 2019.
Demographic Data for South Dakota | ||
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South Dakota | United States | |
Population | 814,180 | 308,745,538 |
Land area (sq mi) | 75,809 | 3,531,905 |
Race and ethnicity** | ||
White | 84.3% | 72.5% |
Black/African American | 2% | 12.7% |
Asian | 1.5% | 5.5% |
Native American | 8.8% | 0.8% |
Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.2% |
Two or more | 2.6% | 3.3% |
Hispanic/Latino | 3.8% | 18% |
Education | ||
High school graduation rate | 91.7% | 88% |
College graduation rate | 28.8% | 32.1% |
Income | ||
Median household income | $58,275 | $62,843 |
Persons below poverty level | 13.1% | 13.4% |
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2010). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2014-2019). | ||
**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
- ↑ The special Senate election in California was for the same seat up for regular election. There were, then, 36 total Senate elections for 35 total seats.
- ↑ Two independents who caucus with Democrats are included with Democrats in the 50-50 split count.
- ↑ Fundraising by primary candidates can be found on the race's respective primary election page. Fundraising by general election candidates can be found on the race's general election page.
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2022 Quarterly Reports," accessed March 2, 2022
- ↑ 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
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' presidential results by congressional district for 2020, 2016, and 2012," accessed September 9, 2022
- ↑ Progressive Party
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