South Dakota
Government
Larry Rhoden
Governor, Republican Party, since 25 Jan 2025
Senate35 seats
Republican 31, Democratic 4
House of Representatives70 seats
Republican 63, Democratic 7
Trifecta: the Republican Party holds the governorship and both chambers.
Races this cycle
2026 forecastNo governor or Senate race in South Dakota this cycle.
Early vote
Ballots cast or requested before election day in South Dakota, by voters’ registered party. As of 2 Nov 2026.
Mail ballots requested
90,333
- Republican Party48,40554%
- Democratic Party25,82129%
- Other16,10718%
Mail ballots returned
81,367
- Republican Party43,75454%
- Democratic Party23,47629%
- Other14,13717%
Mail ballots returned, day by day
Counties with the most mail ballots returned
| County | Ballots | Republican | Democratic | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnehaha | 14,288 | 42% | 37% | 21% |
| Pennington | 11,757 | 55% | 26% | 19% |
| Brown | 5,220 | 58% | 29% | 12% |
| Brookings | 4,973 | 47% | 31% | 23% |
| Lincoln | 4,866 | 50% | 30% | 20% |
| Lawrence | 4,557 | 60% | 22% | 18% |
| Codington | 4,047 | 59% | 25% | 16% |
| Yankton | 3,559 | 53% | 30% | 17% |
| Davison | 2,661 | 57% | 30% | 14% |
| Meade | 2,583 | 66% | 18% | 15% |
Latest South Dakota polls
All US polls| Institute | Date | Fieldwork | Sample | MoE | Method | Voting intention | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concord Public Opinion Partners (D) | 26 Oct 2026* | 22 Oct 2026 – 26 Oct 2026 | 448 | ±3.5 | — |
| Source for Concord Public Opinion Partners (D) poll (opens in a new tab) |
| Emerson College | 22 Oct 2026 | 19 Oct 2026 – 20 Oct 2026 | 803 | ±3.5 | — |
| Source for Emerson College poll (opens in a new tab) |
| Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy | 22 Oct 2026 | 12 Oct 2026 – 14 Oct 2026 | 500 | ±4.5 | — |
| Source for Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy poll (opens in a new tab) |
| Emerson College/KELOLAND | 22 Oct 2026 | 19 Oct 2026 – 20 Oct 2026 | 803 | ±3.5 | — |
| Source for Emerson College/KELOLAND poll (opens in a new tab) |
| Quantus Insights (R) | 21 Oct 2026 | 17 Oct 2026 – 19 Oct 2026 | 633 | ±4.1 | — |
| Source for Quantus Insights (R) poll (opens in a new tab) |
| Public Opinon Strategies (R) | 20 Oct 2026 | 12 Oct 2026 – 16 Oct 2026 | 500 | ±4.4 | — |
| Source for Public Opinon Strategies (R) poll (opens in a new tab) |
| Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy | 19 Oct 2026 | 12 Oct 2026 – 14 Oct 2026 | 500 | ±4.5 | — |
| Source for Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy poll (opens in a new tab) |
| Concord Public Opinion Partners (D) | 9 Oct 2026 | 6 Oct 2026 – 8 Oct 2026 | 400 | ±4.9 | — |
| Source for Concord Public Opinion Partners (D) poll (opens in a new tab) |
| Concord Public Opinion Partners (D) | 9 Oct 2026 | 6 Oct 2026 – 8 Oct 2026 | 400 | ±4.9 | — |
| Source for Concord Public Opinion Partners (D) poll (opens in a new tab) |
| Zenith Research | 30 Sept 2026 | 24 Sept 2026 – 27 Sept 2026 | 500 | ±4.4 | — |
| Source for Zenith Research poll (opens in a new tab) |
- Concord Public Opinion Partners (D)
26 Oct 2026* · n=448 · MoE ±3.5 · Method n/a
- Bengs (I)43.0%
- Rounds (R)41.0%
- Emerson College
22 Oct 2026 · n=803 · MoE ±3.5 · Method n/a
- Rounds (R)50.0%
- Bengs (I)42.0%
- Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy
22 Oct 2026 · n=500 · MoE ±4.5 · Method n/a
- Rounds (R)56.0%
- Bengs (I)37.0%
- Emerson College/KELOLAND
22 Oct 2026 · n=803 · MoE ±3.5 · Method n/a
- Rounds (R)50.0%
- Bengs (I)42.0%
- Quantus Insights (R)
21 Oct 2026 · n=633 · MoE ±4.1 · Method n/a
- Rounds (R)57.0%
- Bengs (I)37.0%
- Public Opinon Strategies (R)
20 Oct 2026 · n=500 · MoE ±4.4 · Method n/a
- Rounds (R)54.0%
- Bengs (I)37.0%
- Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy
19 Oct 2026 · n=500 · MoE ±4.5 · Method n/a
- Rhoden (R)56.0%
- Ahlers (D)36.0%
- Concord Public Opinion Partners (D)
9 Oct 2026 · n=400 · MoE ±4.9 · Method n/a
- Bengs (I)43.0%
- Rounds (R)42.0%
- Concord Public Opinion Partners (D)
9 Oct 2026 · n=400 · MoE ±4.9 · Method n/a
- Rhoden (R)48.0%
- Ahlers (D)38.0%
- Zenith Research
30 Sept 2026 · n=500 · MoE ±4.4 · Method n/a
- Rounds (R)53.0%
- Bengs (I)47.0%
* End of fieldwork: the source states no publication date.
Last Senate election
2026 United States Senate election in South Dakota ·
How people voted last time.
| Party | Vote | |
|---|---|---|
| Mike Rounds (R) | 60.5% | |
| Brian Bengs (I) | 39.5% |
Source: Wikipedia
2026 United States Senate election in South Dakota by county
| County | Leader | Lead | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnehaha | Rounds | +3.1 | 66,634 |
| Pennington | Rounds | +14.3 | 38,216 |
| Lincoln | Rounds | +17.2 | 26,253 |
| Brown | Rounds | +21.2 | 12,011 |
| Brookings | Rounds | +12.0 | 11,441 |
| Lawrence | Rounds | +19.0 | 10,856 |
| Meade | Rounds | +38.3 | 10,001 |
| Codington | Rounds | +30.1 | 9,873 |
| Yankton | Rounds | +17.1 | 7,685 |
| Hughes | Rounds | +32.2 | 6,454 |
Last governor election
2026 South Dakota gubernatorial election ·
How people voted last time.
| Party | Vote | |
|---|---|---|
| Larry Rhoden (R) | 63.4% | |
| Dan Ahlers (D) | 36.6% |
Source: Wikipedia
2026 South Dakota gubernatorial election by county
| County | Leader | Lead | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnehaha | Rhoden | +5.2 | 66,466 |
| Pennington | Rhoden | +25.5 | 37,228 |
| Lincoln | Rhoden | +21.8 | 26,310 |
| Brown | Rhoden | +27.7 | 12,048 |
| Brookings | Rhoden | +18.6 | 11,506 |
| Lawrence | Rhoden | +32.2 | 10,583 |
| Meade | Rhoden | +50.3 | 10,028 |
| Codington | Rhoden | +36.9 | 9,896 |
| Yankton | Rhoden | +23.0 | 7,705 |
| Hughes | Rhoden | +37.6 | 6,519 |
Last presidential election
2024 United States presidential election in South Dakota ·
How people voted last time.
| Party | Vote | |
|---|---|---|
| Donald Trump (R) | 63.4% | |
| Kamala Harris (D) | 34.2% | |
| Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (I) | 1.7% | |
| Chase Oliver (L) | 0.7% |
Source: Wikipedia